I'm wondering if I could get some specific feedback from people who have
travelled farther down the parenting road than I have. My dilemma, shared I know
by many, is figuring out whether my son would be served better by moving from a
BUSD school to a private school with smaller class sizes, more focus on the whole
child, more opportunity for physical activity, and -- most of all -- a curriculum
that is more engaging, hands on, inquiry-based. The two schools that probably
appeal to me the most are Walden and Crestmont.

My son is in the middle of 1st grade at a school that I like, with a teacher that
I like -- and his stock response to ''How is school?'' is ''I hate it.'' ''It's
boring.'' ''Is there anything you like?'': ''Recess and PE, and sometimes
science.'' He is a very active, athletic boy -- not particularly fidgety, but
engaged primarily by physical activity. NOT very engaged intellectually (either
in or out of school), very middle of the road in terms of his
reading/writing/math skills. I am finding the implementation of the common core
standards to be pretty depressing so far in terms of the amount of time and focus
on worksheet-based learning -- tho I understand it is the first year, and can
only hope that will improve in coming years.

Here is my question: for those of you who faced a similar dilemma -- how has it
worked out? If you switched, did a more engaging curriculum stimulate your child
and help them retain/develop a love of learning? or did your not-so-academically
inclined child remain uninterested in school? For those of you who stayed public
-- did the tincture of time help your child mature into a more engaged student?
Or did disinterest develop into more significant issues as your child got older?
And what role, in the end, do you see a particular school as having played in
your child's overall development?

I don't mean to say that an engaging curriculum can't be found in the BUSD
system, or to start a(nother) big discussion about the merits of public vs
private in general. But when I think about my kid in particular I worry about
what I have seen this year, and about what the next several years will look like
as the pressure is put on teachers to meet the common core standards.
Another Worried Mama

Definitely listen to what your child is telling you. My son had a
wonderful experience in kindergarten in our neighborhood school (public)
-- and has been hating school ever since first grade. If it is truly the
wrong fit, it will probably get worse, not better, although there will be
some bright spots along the way, of course. I didn't pay much attention to
my son's increasing complaints because he was doing well in school and had
nice friends. In fourth grade he was still complaining, and I was
(finally) starting to get concerned about his attitude not just toward
school, but towards learning in general. We are going to try private
school for middle school, and I hope it will be a more engaging
environment for him. There are a lot of great things about his public
school. It is convenient, free, diverse, rigorous, and has lots of great
kids with down-to-earth, highly involved families. But when it comes down
to the nuts and bolts of teaching and learning, meh... not much there.
The state of public education should improve markedly with the Common
Core, but expect a few rocky years while districts, principals, and
teachers navigate the transition.
Good luck!
I'm a public school mom (3 kids) and I think it comes down to the teacher.
None of my 3 have ever hated school, but they have gone through various
stages of liking and loving school. The kid who loved school the most and
couldn't wait for the weekend to be over was the one who adored her
teacher (3rd grade). But the first kid had had this same teacher and was
not nearly so enamored. He liked 3rd grade but did not love it. Now in
middle school, he has teachers he loves and others he's not so crazy
about. If you can guarantee a perfect fit with your child and his teacher
every year, you can guarantee a happy student. But honestly, that's not
possible, neither at public nor private. We only have experience with
public school, but know lots and lots of kids at private. What's true in
both is that if the kid loves the teacher, they will love the class.
Momx3
we didn't have quite the same dilemma as you have - we chose between
homeschooling and school - but i did have similar concerns in terms of
looking for a school that would be engaging and would keep my children's
sense of curiosity alive. we liked both walden and crestmont a lot and
chose crestmont. i couldn't be happier with our decision. crestmont is a
wonderful school. i am always struck by how much everyone - kids and
parents alike - just love it. kids want to come to school and often don't
want to leave. the teachers are tuned in, the learning is project-based
and collaborative, and the atmosphere is fun and lively. good luck with your decision.

[Editor Note: In response to this question,
reviews were also received for Crestmont and Walden schools.]

My son is a kindergartener at a Berkeley Public School. This school was not our
first choice but we've been pleasantly surprised at how happy he is there. I've
volunteered a few times and was pleased at how well behaved the kids were and that
they seemed to enjoy their teacher and learning. The school is more traditional
than I would like (we wanted a TWI school or arts-focused) and I'm wondering if
it's worth it to transfer next year to a private, progressive, arts or language
focused school. I realize this is something I'm wanting; my son is not an art or
music prodigy, but given that he is so young it seems like music and art could
benefit him greatly. Berkeley's school day is short compared to private schools
(and even OUSD) which is probably why they can't incorporate art, etc. every day
(the once a week art class seems rushed). Yes, there are enrichment classes, but
not enough room for all interested students. Outside classes are difficult to
attend b/c we both work full time. But is our dream curriculum worth $20k a year?
We know people who rent tiny apartments to send their kids to private school; are
we being selfish or short-sighted by not doing the same? We don't live lavishly and
would have to drastically cut back on everything to do so. I realize there is no
right or wrong answer but would appreciate your personal experiences and reasons
for going public or private. Lastly, I've heard (second hand) that if your kid does
private at any point, it should be elementary school. Is middle school too late?
Confused & conflicted

I just wanted to comment on the issue of elementary years being the best time for
private school - I have a different theory. I think the middle/high school years
are when the kids can benefit the most from private schools - by having them in
schools that fit their personalities and support them socially and academically.
There is a lot more academic and social pressure at this older age, and the social
issues can severely affect emotional development and academic identity in ways
that will impact the rest of their adult lives. Our kids did public elementary
until middle school, and then one kid chose a private school with specific
academic programs, one chose public, both were happy and did well.

Academically, elementary school isn't especially demanding (and I found, by
touring private schools, that the Berkeley Public Schools provide education on par
with the most rigorous private schools locally). I think your point is that it's
a good time to expose kids to many subjects and social situations (also private
schools are not as socially diverse as public), so they can gravitate toward what
they like. However, if they aren't naturally inclined to these extracurrics, then
they may soon fall by the wayside. For example, I was in bilingual classes
through 6th grade but it didn't stick with me.

Finally, the cost of private school can be painful, so you really have to believe
that what you are doing is important for your child and for your family - and if
you don't have tons of extra funds for it, this can create an expectation,
pressure on your child, at least occasionally, and kids are perceptive about stuff
like that. We definitely felt that there was more awareness of affluence in the
private school, creating social issues for the kids since we aren't wealthy.
I'd say if your child is happy, let him continue there - he will certainly be
exposed to *lots* of different subjects over the course of his elementary
experience, even if its not an arts or language school. Find out about the
upcoming grades and what they are doing - often teachers bring in specialists and
do units on all sorts of topics, including music and art. Some offsite afterschool
programs have great opportunities too (I think more becomes available for older
kids)- the JCC comes to mind.

You sound like a very thoughtful parent, I'm sure your child will feel supported
and do well wherever you send him. Good luck!
A family who has tried it all!

It sounds like your child is happy where he is. If he's not musically or
artistically inclined, perhaps he's in the best place for him. You can augment his
learning with weekend music lessons or art classes at MOCHA. There are also other
private after school programs available (I think the JCC has one that has a van
and picks up kids from all over the east bay). I realize you are the parent and
must make these decisions for him. However, when you describe how much you would
have to sacrifice to put him into private school, it sounds like it would be a
great burden for you. We chose to go to private school because the school felt
like a great fit for our child. Our local public school is highly regarded.
However, I didn't feel comfortable there and knew my awkwardness would spill over
to my participation in and with the school. Do we get more at a private school? I
can't say. My child takes piano lessons at school (and while I'm very musical,
it's not really his cup of tea... we'll finish out the year and re-visit later).
He loves art and is able to take several great after school classes that fulfill
that passion. I'm very happy with our school and our decision. We receive aid and
it definitely makes a big difference in our ability to attend. Finally, there are
differing opinions about if/when to attend private school. I believe my child
needed more attention and help at the beginning of his schooling. Not sure what
we'll do later, but for now, we're happy. And, no matter what you decide, you can
always change course. Good luck.
Happy Parent
We chose to start with public school and do our best to make it work, and if it
did not work, then we would look into private. We originally did this as we both
grew up in public schools that were just fine and great in some ways, so we had
''a good experience as a child''. We also wanted to save funds for travel; a form
of education. And we wanted to save funds for college.

Our kids' public elementary school turned out to be great for them, as is middle
school and high school. Our kids are in berkeley public schools and both benefit
from the music program and the sports programs. Art varries from school to
school, but also from teacher to teacher. We found that many ''regular'' teachers
work good art projects into their classroom day. The math program has proved to
be strong, too. We both work full time, too, and we found good offerings at after
school programs on site in elementary and middle school. Regarding high school,
many berkeley families who have private school kids have their kids go to Berkeley
high, and the kids seem to do well. A vew kids go from public middle school to
private high schools.

The nice thing is that there are good choices for most students at private or
public schools and folks are generally supportive of everyones' choices.
Another BUSD parent

Well as an accountant my opinion is that private schools are for two kinds of
people 1) those that are rich and 2) those that are bad at math!

Seriously, it is an enormous expense over a kid's lifetime and unless you have a
solid plan for retirement and getting your kids through college I would really
think twice before going private. It is a HUGE expense.
I know that extra classes are hard when you work full time but heck, hire someone
to chauffeur them there (check out the gigs section on craigslist) and pay for the
class and you'll still come out way ahead.

That said I wouldn't want my kids to be in a school that sucks so my take is start
with the public schools and if they fail you then consider your options. And my
opinion is definitely if they ever go private I'd save the money for later on when
it could really make a difference. Unless your child is having a really negative
experience in school then how far behind or ahead are they really going to get in
elementary school. Where I come from private elementary schools didn't really
exist (there were maybe 3 in the whole city) but a lot of people went to private
high schools.
hoping to go public all the way

The short school day that you mention was what started us looking a private
schools back when our daughter was going into kindergarten. As a
two-working-parent family, three hours of kindergarten, with most of the day spent
in off-site before- and after-school programs, wasn't going to cut it for us.
This was in Albany. And it looked like it wasn't going to get much better before
I think 4th grade, with dismissals at 1:30 or 2:30 pm. For a kid coming from
full-day preschool, this made no sense. It's not like she needed to be eased into
being away from home. In private school the day was 8:20 - 2:30 for kindergarten
and then until 3:30 thereafter (now in 7th grade), with an on-site after-school
program. The longer school day did allow time for art, music, science lab,
library, and PE, and then later in elementary school computer lab and foreign
language came in as well. Tuition is steep, but our kid likes school, is getting a
good education, and the parents get to keep our jobs, so it's worked for us. Good
luck!
School should be 9-5
I personally think you would be crazy to pay $20,000/yr when you are already
enrolled in a free school that you like and where your son seems to be thriving
(hey, you asked!). No matter how great a private school is, I doubt it could be
$20,000 better than your Berkeley public school. Or even $15,000 better. You
could use a small portion of that tuition that you don't have to pay at BUSD for
one-on-one music classes and art classes and language classes. But, you do seem
like you may have regrets if you don't pursue one of these specialized schools, so
maybe you should check out a few. But your child is already in kindy, so next
year the school day gets longer and possibly more enrichment classes will be fit
into the schedule. I'm not in BUSD, but at our OUSD school they do get art, music
and Spanish, even in kindy. As far as elementary school being the time to pay for
private, I've heard the opposite. Most kids have their academic/social needs met
in Berkeley public elementary schools...depending on your kid, this could perhaps
change by middle or high school. Maybe...
$20K still in my pocket
If it ain't broke, don't fix it!
Your child is happy at the school. Yay! Why not save the private school option for
when/if your child becomes unhappy at school?

I think private school is a great option if money is not an issue. 20k is the
(approximate) tuition, but that will not be your only expense. You will be
expected to contribute to the Annual Fund. You will be expected to volunteer. You
will have to pay for the afterschool program. You might be expected to attend
auctions or other fundraisers. Private schools expenses are simply not covered by
tuition alone, and they need to offer financial assistance to some families. So,
fundraising is constant.

Also, keep in mind that tuitions rise regularly. So if the private K-8 school of
your dreams is 20k for first grade, it could be 25k+ by 8th grade. In public
school, free remains free (though I realize ''free'' is arguable).

Also, while enrichment classes aren't as popular with kindergartners, by 2nd or
3rd grade most kids--public and private students--participate in afterschool
activities--baseball, soccer, piano lessons, gymnastics, martial arts, etc.
Another expense to think about. They can really add up. Activities like these are
scheduled for late afternoon/early evening and weekends to accommodate working
parents.
Stick With Public

My kids are attending Portola, the public middle school in El
Cerrito; my son plans to start El Cerrito High next year. My
question is mainly asking for feedback from people whose kids have
gone to public school (how's that turned out?) and private school
(same question?). The reason I'm asking is, I have always felt that
attending public schools is a way to learn valuable life lessons,
such as working in a mixed society, figuring out how to get along
with all sorts of people, and even gaining the ability to motivate
yourself. However, Portola has been a real mixed bag for my son,
and I find myself questioning if the benefits are worth the costs --
not least of which is the complete boredom of my smart son, who aces
all his tests but is pulling C's because he doesn't do his
''boring'' homework. I'd love to hear the perspectives of others,
especially those with older kids: am I costing my kids their future
education and options by not sending them to private schools?
Thanks in advance!
Susan

We went the private route with our highly academic daughter after a
great K-4 in public school (Oakland) and a terrible 5th grade year in
the same public school. Before 5th grade she loved school, and
excelled. Being in a class with a horrible teacher, that was run by
disruptive, unmotivated student bullies really killed her love for
school. When I explored the public middle school, I was told that about
20% of the students, at most, really wanted to be there to learn. Going
to a fabulous middle school (Julia Morgan School for Girls) restored
her love of school, and now she is a fully engaged sophomore in private
high school. We are fortunate to receive financial aid from her private
schools. I feel that for my daughter the difference has both honored
her intellect, supported her emotionally, and has been essentially life
changing.
anonymous
I think the first question you have to ask yourself is ''Can we
afford it?'' There is no guarantee that you children will do better
in a private school and it might impact the amount of cash that you
will be able to set aside for college savings or other family expenses.
Could you get more involved and conference with the teachers and see if
there is anything that you can do to enrich your child's experience? If
homework is the problem, well that might just be a life lesson for all
the ''boring'' yet necessary things that happen in life, like tax prep.
Or perhaps you could see if it could be waived in favor of a more
project oriented assignment. You could spend the money you might've
spent on private schools for afterschool enrichment or summer
activities. If your child really is bright then the challenge will be
to motivate him to rise to the top. If he does that, than he could get
into the GATE programs or take AP classes in high school. Within every
setting there are smaller groups. It sounds like your son would do well
to identify with the higher achieving kids in the place. Public
school teachers can be overwhelmed by the sheer number of students, but
they are also humans, with more required credentials than private
school teachers, and will often go the extra mile for a student that
shows interest. The other option you might explore is to try for a
transfer to another school or district that will provide more
enrichment, that is the route my family took. It had its challenges
too, unfortunately there is no easy answer Good luck.
been there
My ADD daughter also attended Portola and El Cerrito High. For her they
were great. Neither is perfect, but she ended up with some great
experiences and friends. With the money we saved vs. sending her to
private schools were we able to hire tutors as necessary. If she had
been one of those top students I might feel differently but I know kids
like that who went to private schools who aren't doing demonstratively
better in life after high school.
Been There
The most important thing seems to be that your child is not thriving in
his present school environment. Looking into other schools might be a
solution to that problem.

As far as public vs private, I attended large, public middle and high
school in California. My schools had middling API scores. I took
every advanced class my schools offered, and did well at college.
However, friends who went to better schools, both public and private,
got a better education. I wanted that for my children, and now send
them to private school. However, I also believe a motivated child can
learn in any school.

The people that I know who attended private school seem to get along in
mixed society as well as those who attended public school.
One person's perspective

Hello Susan,
Our son switched schools sophomore year of High school. He attended
Albany middle and freshman year Albany high. We felt we needed to
change something because he was bored all through middle school. There
are good teachers in Albany high, but the classes are overcrowded.
Since our son was merely underperforming, not failing, nobody called
him on it. The assignments took forever to be checked, and by the time
they were returned it was almost the end of grading period. He is now
at Head-Royce and we really love it. The homework is checked, the
assignments are meaningful and challenging, and the teachers are
amazing. The kids are studying a lot, so it is not ''cool'' not to
study. One of his best friends though is thriving in Albany. He takes
all of the AP classes and is getting a solid education too. So a lot
depends on a child. For ours public system did not work as well. The
financial burden of private education is heavy, so consider your
options carefully. Best of luck to you and your student.
former public
You ask good questions, and I'm not sure there is only one possible
answer. I can speak from the perspective of a parent whose two
children (both girls) attended both Portola and ECHS. They, along with
many of their friends who also attended public schools in El Cerrito,
attended top tier colleges, including Cal, Brown, Yale, Harvard,
Stanford, UCLA, UC Davis, Penn, UCSD, and the like. They know kids who
attended private schools who went to much less prestigious
universities. So if that's your criteria for success, I think your
children will not miss out on opportunities by attending public
schools. It's important to remember, however, that being successful in
a public school is, in many ways, a more difficult proposition. You
need a great deal of self-motivation and inner resources, and if your
children don't have those strengths, then private schools may be a
better fit. Our family believes strongly in public education for many
of the reasons you mentioned; hopefully you and your children will be
able to navigate the sometimes challenging waters and be all the
stronger for the experience. Best of luck!
Public school mom
My child attended private elementary, middle and high schools in the
East Bay. Without a doubt it was a financial stretch, but she was well
educated. She was accepted at several well known private colleges but
chose to go to a UC since she did not want to spend the money AND she
liked the students much better on the UC campus. The main issue for me
as a parent for the early years was small class size, and available
teacher time for each student. Curriculums in private schools were more
engaging and all her schools had music, art, dance and theatre classes.
Students in privates schools generally do their work, it is too obvious
when they do not. However money wise it is a huge stretch, and costs
even more today. Scholarships are rare. Homework is probably double or
triple what you would experience in a public school. Not all homework
is fun.

It would also be difficult to apply to a private high school at this
time of year, since applications were already due a few months ago.
Spaces may open in second year, but likely your son would need to apply
and redo the freshman year. IF he is not already an exceptional
student, he might not find a spot.

I would suggest you have a conversation with your son - if school is
not his bag, does he want to go into a trade? the military? He needs to
have a better response than 'homework is stupid'. It could be he is
really struggling and needs a tutor, or he needs to just get the work
done and have more challenges such as a sport or activity he enjoys. Be
willing to pay for the extracurricular on the condition that the
homework is done on time every day and grades are B or better. If the
homework is that easy he should be able to finish most of it at school.
No Excuses for Homework

My son is currently enrolled in a private pre-school that
runs through the 8th grade. He loves the school and I am
aligned with their view of child development and overall
approach to education. He will be entering kindergarten
next year - and has just been accepted into a public k-5
school (Grattan Elementary School). From what I've learned,
the public school has a good reputation (for child
development, for it's environmental and computer programs
and for an active, engaged and concerned Parent association)
and a good (tho not great) reputation for the quality of
it's academics. Grattan is also in my neighborhood (half a
dozen blocks from my home).

I am conflicted about which school to send him to. While I
like the notion of public school (and, of course, not
spending $23,000 a year on elementary education!), I am a
bit concerned about how all of the SF & state education
budget cuts (both those which have happened and those that
are coming) will impact the quality of the education, energy
& culture at the school. I am also a bit concerned about
the increased difficulty I might have in getting him into a
private school in the 6th grade (if I were to decide that
was in his best interest).

I know many parents have struggled through the 'private vs.
public' school decision - and would be interested in any
advice or experiences you've had that would help inform my
decision. Thanks very much for your thoughts!

I don't think there is a ''right'' decision. Every family is different. I WILL say that
I often wonder about all of those private school families who somehow have
$2000 to pay each month for private school, but are not willing to put that
money into a public school that may be suffering from the current district and
state cuts. Yes, times are hard for schools, but imagine the wonderful art and
science programs that schools could have if more families put their children and
their resources into their local public schools. We did just that a few years ago,
and could not be happier! We helped get art and science programs back into
our local neighborhood school, and our children have had an amazing
experience there. I think with a little faith, some hard work, and a smile, public
schools are the way to go. Everyone benefits. If you try it, and find that it is not
for you, then you can always switch to private. I also know families who did
that.
Good luck in your decision. You will choose what is right for your family.
putting my money where my mouth is!
We chose private school because I wanted more choice in how my child was
educated. I was looking for a more progressive school with smaller classes.
I
got that and more - responsive teachers who really work with parents, an
administration that responds to parent's concerns, small and creative
classes,
a wonderful community of kids. One of the best things we have gotten from
private school is that they truly supervise the playground and if there are
issues they intervene. I find that the kids are kind at my son's school
because
teachers really pay attention to what is happening socially and work with
kids
on social interactions. I cannot begin to tell you what a big deal that is.
Bullying is a normal part of the school experience but how the school
responds makes a big difference on whether it is common or infrequent.
Our private school handles these issues well. Now this is not to say you
couldn't find these things in a public school. There are lots of terrific
ones.

The gift with private schools is being able to find one that fits your
child's
personality. They all have their ''cultures'' and I found a school that
truly
suited my son. Look at the culture of a private school whether it be
academic,
progressive, emphasis on sports, emphasis on drama, what is the parent
community like, etc. and choose the best fit for your child. Don't get
caught
up in what is the ''best,'' as many kids will not be happy in those super
academic schools. There are some amazing choices out there. If you feel
your child will get lost in a large classroom it could be worth looking at a
private school that emphasizes small classes.
I was in your position last year asking the same questions and really
feeling
torn on the issue. After a lot of soul searching, and researching our family
decided to give our local public school a try. The raves about the school
made us feel confident that we were making the right choice. Our child had
spent a number of years in a small and nurturing pre-school and he was
completely prepared for kindergarten, perhaps over prepared.

Our experience was mixed right from the start. The classroom environment
was a bad fit, the cohort group was a bad fit and the administration was
distant and unresponsive. Almost immediately our child began to complain
about going to school. ''I hate it!'' was usually what we heard on Monday
mornings. We were in the thick of it and trying to find the best in a bad
situation. We talked to LOTS of people, wrote emails, volunteered (a ton of
time!), donated money and hoped for the best. As time went by our son's
behavior deteriorated and he seemed to be back tracking academically as
well. I think because he was already reading and writing when he entered
school he was left to his own devices while his teacher focused on other
children. Most days he was directed to a corner of the room and told to read
or do workbook pages on his own. He was completely bored in this joyless
environment. He learned that being bad was what got you attention. So that
is what he started to do.

Special classes were/are over-rated too. What I
personally witnessed was lots of busy work given to a group of kids scared
to death to step out of line for fear of being yelled at and chastised by
the
adults around them. Young children were regularly sent out of the room to
other classrooms where they would sit alone isolated from the group. Rarely
were consistently well behaved, good performing kids rewarded. In fact kids
who were normally disruptive would receive an abundance of praise and
attention on the rare occasions they cooperated. This approach seems
backwards to me!?

In the end we were lucky enough to find a place in a
private school.
The change in our child was immediate. No longer anxious and scared he
completely engaged with his new friends and new challenges. The curriculum
is so much richer and presented with excitement and yes even joy. He is back
to loving school and feeling safe so he can focus on learning. That is all
that
matters to us.

What I have learned through this experience is that you MUST follow your
own instincts. It's very hard to get a true understanding of a school in an
hour long tour, but you can get a pretty good feel for it. If there is a
school
you like a lot see if your child can spend a few hours in the classroom. Go
to
the PTA meetings, special events and see what goes on behind the scenes.
Public school can be fine for some kids, but definitely not for all and it
can
be all about 'the luck of the draw'. If you do choose a public school be
prepared to volunteer as much as you can. Teachers in public school really
rely on active parental involvement and you have to factor that time
requirement into your schedule. You won't have a choice when it comes to
your teacher and if things start to go wrong you are stuck. The cohort group
is also very important. If your child happens to be placed with a
particularly
disruptive group of kids there is also nothing you can do about it. The
greatest curriculum in the world is worthless if a teacher can't teach and
the
children are prevented from learning. In a private school parents demand the
learning environment be maintained because they are paying for it. Kids are
expected to show up ready to learn and when they aren't there are real
consequences. On the flip side, parents can expect and demand that teachers
are competent and capable.Of course no situation is perfect and I'm sure you
will find many private school naysayers, but for us private school is the
best
choice. Our son is thriving and most importantly he LOVES to go school
again. I wish you all the best and hope it all works out well.
ANON

I didn't see your original post, but I would recommend
to ''go with your gut''. That's what we did, and chose
private. Well, it didn't work out- we were disappointed
that smaller class sizes meant the teachers spent more
time dealing with social issues than school work- much to
the chagrin of my child who had to sit around and wait for
the teacher to discipline kids. Also- it was supposed to
be an academically advanced school with lots of
enrichment, but our local public offers so much more and
is MUCH more challenging (and it's not in Lamorinda or
Piedmont). There are many more reasons, but I won't bore
you with the details.
We tried something and it didn't work out, so we made a
change. Now our kids are happy and thriving both
academically and socially in a public school. If only we
had a crystal ball, but alas, we don't. Do what you think
is best at the time you are doing it- nothing is
irreversible.
happy public school parent who tried private

Hi,
I've seen several messages lately regarding the level of
academics in private school vs. public school. May I ask
parents, teachers, school administrators out there to revisit
this issue with me one more time?

Right now my child is in a private school in Berkeley and going
into middle school next year. I don't know if we can afford
it, but I've been thinking (dreaming, really) how cool it would
be if she could go to a private high school like CPS or
Bentley... I expect she would get great education from caring
teachers and she would be surrounded by motivated kids... I
thought being in a school like CPS would allow my child to be
more focused on academics and learning and not have to worried
about other distractions like lack of funding, etc.

So, here are my questions... Do you really think the academics
level in public schools is higher than private schools? How do
we measure this ''higher academics''? Is the school more
academics if it's teaching algebra (for example) in 6th grade
while others aren't? Is it better for the school to be
more ''advanced'' and what does ''advanced'' mean? What does it
mean when a child is ''behind''? Where can I get my hand on the
list of items that a child should be learning in each grade
based on the CA standard? What makes this standard a good
standard for my child (except for the fact that we're living in
CA)?
Boy, I feel dumb. Please help me.

Thank you!
Anonymous

The CA state education standards are at this link:
http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/
There is another option for public high school, Oakland
Unified's Middle College High School at Merritt College and West
Contra Costa's Middle College High School at Contra Costa
College. The 11th and 12th grade classes are college classes;
the students earn high school and college credit at the same
time, graduating with a high school diploma and an AA degree.
-- happy with public school
I have been a private math tutor for many years. Many of my
students are or were at private schools. I find public schools
almost always do a better job of math instruction. I often find
that private school students have large gaps in their math
knowledge (i.e. can't do basic algebra or even fractions).
Consider that private schools almost always hire someone without
math teaching credentials. They are under no obligation by the
State of California to do so and as such often don't even attempt
it as their costs would certainly increase.

Now credentials are certainly not everything; there are a lot of
really bad credentialed teachers. So not sure what the real
problem is, but it is very clear to me in my 27 years of
tutoring that private school students get generally inferior math
instruction. I would never send my kid to a private school for
that reason and a number of others.
sean

I wanted to respond to the post about math skills in public vs.
private schools. My daughter started in public school and then
transferred to Black Pine Circle. The public school she attended
was great in many ways, but it was not great for her. I think it
is important to look at schools individually since not all public
or private schools are the same.

I did not know about BPC's award winning math program when I
picked the school. I wanted a school that provided a well-rounded
good education. My daughter loves art and does best when she has
strong relationships with her teachers and peers. I loved the
feel of the school, the small class size and the fact that the
students spend many hours of the day in music, art, drama,
library, reading, science, social studies, computers,
gardeningVand math. I loved the parent community and the
attention given to caring about people.

While at BPC, I have learned about the amazing math program. In
the last 7 years BPC middle school students have won the
championship in the Oakland All-Star Mathletes Competition. This
year BPC Math Teacher Anatoliy Gulimovskiy received an award
administered by the Mathematical Association of America for
Distinguished Teaching. The award says, in part, [Mr.
Gulimovskiy's] effort has placed [BPC] among the top [schools] in
the region.

BPC has a math specialist who works two periods a week in each
K-5 class q one is for enrichment for the whole class, math games
and activities that promote problem solving and critical thinking
skills. Then her other session in the class is to work
individually or with a small group more on remediation. BPC
approaches many subjects in this manner (individual attention &
group learning).

My experience is that Black Pine Circle has created a culture
that integrates math into the larger school atmosphere. I have
not seen anything that looks like high-pressure learning or geeky
math professors. Instead it seems like there are real pros that
see math as fun and interesting who are inviting kids to join them.
Happy BPC Parent

We know the old public/private debate is an old one, but now that
we're in it...we are wondering whether middle school is a good
time to consider private school (in Berkeley) -- age and
development-wise, can private schools offer more guidance and
stronger academics so a child is better prepared to navigate
Berkeley High? The middle school years seem like critical
years, and we're wondering what other parents that have gone
through this concluded or learned through the process.
Thanks.
-making tough decisions

As a Berkeley parent who has gone through the middle school
decision process I can give you the following perspective. Our
child was in public elementary school in Berkeley, and we found
that school to be very good academically. We also kept in mind
that if she did not flourish in public school, we would consider
private.

For example, if she felt overwhelmed by the boy factor, Julia
Morgan middle school (for girls) could have been a great
alternative. I understand that many of the families there do
private school only for the middle school years. It sounds like
a truly wonderful school.
Since my daughter was doing fine in public school and was well
grounded, we decided to go for public middle school in Berkeley.

The 3 Berkeley middle schools
each have excellent academic
programs with wonderful teachers. In addition to the academics,
music and athletics are quite accessible to all kids. I have
heard that, on average, Berkeley middle school kids come to
Berkeley High with more advanced math skills than many of the
local large private schools.

Do you know any Berkeley high teachers? you could ask them what
they think of the skills kids bring from the different middle
schools. Do you know parents of kids at the middle schools or
high school? I encourage you to ask them directly.
There is no one solution for everyone. For our kid, attending a
public middles school in Berkeley is giving her lots of wonderful
academic challenges and she is having a lot of fun, too (and we
are saving money for other things like her cell phone bill - just
kidding).
BUSD Mom

I have a son in the middle school at
St. Paul's Episcopal
School in Oakland, although we live in Berkeley. (It's a short
drive for us.) We believe that St. Paul's is the perfect place
for our son given that we are also hoping to attend Berkeley
High. St. Paul's education is geared toward teaching kids to
think independently and critically. They actually give two
grades on their report cards - one for approach and one for
result. There is great emphasis on learning how to tackle
problems, how to analyze a situation and how to proceed toward
the result. There are also lots of projects designed to get
students to work together and develop collaborative skills. I
have consistently heard that St. Pauls' graduates are
independent thinkers and geared toward problem solving.

I agree that the middle school years are the most critical
period in a child's life and that is why we are so pleased with
our St. Paul's experience. In addition to high academic
standards, the school's corner stones of belief are respect,
diversity and service learning. I consistenly see that St.
Paul's students are respectful, empathetic, confident in their
own abilities and can distinguish between good and bad
choices. Societal values are discussed and considered at
school and the extensive diversity of students results in a
sense of self in students that allows students to be more
resilient and less susceptible to outside pressures. I'm
confident that this middle school investment will pay off well
when my son is ready for high school.
Anonymous

I moved my daughter from a highly rated (and beloved) private
school to an Oakland Public School last year and cannot rave
enough about her year at Crocker Highlands Elementary. The
academics were superb, the community involvement was
outstanding, and the kids in her class (and their families) are
friends I hope she will keep for a lifetime.

She has now moved on to Edna Brewer Middle School with a large
group of these same friends and I cannot speak highly enough
about this middle school! We have many friends in private
middle school who are having an equally good experience,but I
can say hands down that I would choose Edna Brewer Middle
School again without reservation.

Here is what I love. They
seem to really understand 6th graders on a cognitive-social-
emotional level and provide a warm, safe, whole child learning
environment. They also really seem to understand the parents of
middle schoolers and provide (and require) for us a constant
understanding of how our child is performing with weekly
reports on our child's progress, areas of concern and areas
where praise is merited. We have access to all teachers via
progress reports and an online program called TeacherEase. The
academics are very challenging for my child and I give high
praise to her teachers. There is a superb music department
with a talented and dedicated music teacher and my daugter has
a full class period of music daily plus practice at home. I
have always wanted this for my child but could never quite get
the time and money together for lessons! The school offers free
afterschool programs (sound great but no personal experience).

Finally, I could not be more content with my daughter's social
experience. Nope, no bullies, no inappropriate stuff has
crossed her path - I keep asking and my daughter keeps
replying ''Mom, everyone is really nice!'' This is our
neighborhood school and she walks home with a close circle of
girls daily just like in the 'good old days' of my youth. Not
only have her Crocker friends and their families continued to
be a strong presence in her life, but she continues to make
great new friends and ties to the Brewer community. We are so
pleased and excited to be a part of this new community.
Thrilled New Brewer Parent!

I’m a parent of a child at Kensington My child is happy there, doing
great
and making friends, But, I have a real problem with the narrowness of
the curriculum that teaches to the test and I’m not sure what to do
about
it.

Despite the limits of the curriculum, I do believe that Hilltop will
prepare
my child to be a great student and do well in the world because for now
she is happy and thriving. Part of me wants her to have a fuller
educational experience while part of me believes that it may be in her
best interest to keep her in this situation because she may be better
able
to accept life on life terms. Then, I question whether putting her
through
what I see as a mediocre educational experience justifies her being
able to negotiate life being less than perfect.
I’m considering my alternatives in private school. I am not sure if
what I
consider to be the fuller curriculums in private school will in the
long run
either make a difference or be better for my child. I do like that
Kensington is a neighborhood school, the great group of parents and
kids there, the skilled teachers and the serene physical environment.
While we may be able to afford private school now, it is a huge amount
for two children and it is unclear the financial impact this could have
on
us.

Had I been able to visit the classrooms ahead of time and seen private
school as affordable I never would have picked this school for my
daughter. I don’t know how my daughter will feel being pulled out of a
situation where she is thriving and if she will be better off in
another
situation.
Now that we are there, I’m not sure what to do.
Any advice from others who have had similar concern will be
appreciated.
Anon

I taught public school for 7 years (3rd and 4th grades) and am
now working as an administrator part time. One of the biggest
reasons I left teaching (aside from my then 8 month old) was
precisely for the reason you brought up. As a graduate of
Cal's Teacher Ed program, I had much higher hopes for the
public school system, which basically spent 7 years telling me
that teaching students to love learning was far less important
than teaching students how to score well on the test. The
school I just left has such a regimented day now (full of mind-
numbing textbook driven instruction) that students don't even
have time to read books of their choosing or write during the
school day. Sure they learn what writing is on a multiple
choice test, but they don't actually get to put it into
practice by...writing! In my new job I am hearing from many
parents who have unprepared Freshmen in college, mainly because
they were never taught how to think critically, research, or
question. I also work with kids who can multiply out to the
30th digit but when given a simple story problem ask, ''Do I
add, subtract, or what?'' (Thanks Kumon--but that's another
tirade.)

When I was teaching I hoped for parents like you - advocates
for their children's right to a stimulating, engaging, and
cognitively appropriate education. Please complain to anyone
and everyone who will listen to you. Please support your
teachers as they try to employ best teaching practices despite
what the state is shoving down their throats. And when you
encounter an innovative, constructivist teacher, please write
him or her a note (and cc the principal and school board and
supe) expressing how grateful you are your child is not being
taught like a drone. The only thing that can change this
tragic situation is parents like you with VERY LOUD voices.
Tired Teacher

How about keep her at Kensington and at the same time enroll her
in outside programs (which maybe you are already doing), in the
subjects you think are lacking. Maybe design your own
interdisciplenary program to do with her at home. Download some
free homeschool curriculum to supplement/enrich what is going on
at school. I'm sure I'm in the minority, but I like Open Court,
because it ensures that no basics get inadvertantly skipped;
however I definitely look for supplementary and enriching
activities to do at home.
--public school parent
Oh, yes. I have been there. My son had a good experience at our local
public
school, but after 2 years we switched him to a waldorf school because
we were very
dissatisfied with the school curriculum. With this change, we have had
to grieve the
things we have lost by not staying in our neighborhood school (mostly a
connection
to a local community) and we've had many opportunities to rejoice in
both the
method and the things he is learning at his present school.
So, there is no easy answer! My one thought about public school is
that I think each
teacher interprets the curriculum a bit and some can bring a lot more
creativity to
the work, so you may cross your fingers that your child will cross
paths with some
of those teachers over the years.
anon

I have seen this question asked a lot of different ways on this
site, most have to do with cost. I would actually like some
input around the quality of the education regardless of the
cost. We are prepared to move and we are prepared to pay for
private school. My goal is to provide the best education
possible for my daughters to prepare them for college and for
life. I want them to have the confidence that they can achieve
anything they set their minds to and the discipline to actually
achieve it.

My oldest daughter will start kindergarten next year. Like many
kids she has areas such as math and verbal skills where she is
above her grade level and areas such as social and fine motor
skills where she is at grade level. What is important to me is
that she is able to continue to build on her strengths (my fear
with public schools is that her strengths will suffer while she
waits for all students to be at grade level) while developing
her weaknesses. Other things important to me are; a nurturing
environment that continues to let her love learning through
structured and unstructured time, learning how to study/be a
student (something I never learned), music, language and
athletics, along with the obvious of a good academic foundation
of math, reading, science etc. We have taken many school tours
(public and private) that have ranged from all free time with
little structure to all structure and too many sit down and be
quiet rules.

My question to parents in public school, do you feel that your
child gets enough personal attention to develop their strengths
or do they teach to the lowest common dominator?
For parents in private school, do you feel your children are
well rounded enough to survive in the ''real'' world? Do they get
the attention your money is paying for?
Thank you for any and all feedback as we are really struggling
to find the right fit for our family
Willing to move for public willing to pay for private

The question of public vs. private school (particularly
elementary education) regardless of cost reminds me of the ''if
money were no object, how would you live your life?'' question -
it gets to your basic beliefs and values and how to make them
congruent. In the case of education, it brings up the issue of
learning and parenting, and how broadly you define education and
the purposes of schooling. So, money aside (which is difficult
to do), I'll tell you about my children's private school
education over the past six years.

They have:
1. been in small classes with engaged peers (ethnically and
economically diverse);
2. had teachers with boundless energy, hands-on strategies,
interesting projects and fieldtrips;
3. experienced afterschool staff who make the best summer camp
counselors look lazy and boring in comparison;,
4. school grounds with composting and recycling and play
structures that do not get vandalized or left with trash after a
weekend;
5. a parent community who pitch in when someone is in need, and
who volunteer above and beyond the 20 hr/year commitment, and who
are commitment to the school's mission;
6. organic,local produce, hot friday lunches served by volunteers
that supports financial aid programs;
7. service learning projects in the community that range from
planing trees to tutoring to serving meals;
8. administrative leadership that is truly committed to honoring
each child's gifts, and who ensure that the school operates from
its ambitious mission; and
9. a real love of learning.

This last point is what is most valuable to our family -- how to
continue to instill a love of learning, a curiousity in the world
around them, and the tools to be smart and engaged citizens.
I would recommend you check out Deborah Stipek's book Motivated
Minds for a thorough analysis of schools (public and private) and
some questions you can ask yourself to determine what would be
the best fit for your family.
By the way, the school I describe above is Windrush School in El
Cerrito (www.windrush.org).
Happy Windrush Parent

My reply is: "It depends". It depends on which school and it depends
on what kind of child you have.
My three kids have been in a variety of public and private
schools over the years. One went to
Berkeley public schools all the way through high school, another
the same except for a few years in two different private schools
in upper grades.
My youngest has just started kindergarten at a private school.

First, it depends on which school you are talking about.
There are lousy private schools and lousy public schools.
There are excellent public schools and excellent private
schools. Your definition of lousy and excellent will be
different than mine, so a lot depends on what kind of school you
are hoping for, and whether you will recognize it when you see it.
Good for you, for visiting a lot of schools.

I only have experince with a handful of Berkeley public
schools, and with 3 private
schools, plus a few more I've visited. But
I would say that two of the private schools
my kids went to were inferior in almost every way
to the public schools they attended. When I was touring
kindergartens last year for my youngest child,
I visited a couple of popular private
schools that looked exactly like Berkeley public school kindergarten to me,
only a little whiter (and in one case, a little shabbier),
and I wondered why parents in Berkeley would pay
all that money to get basically the same educational experience
they could get for free.
(Unless they are paying to have wealthier classmates for their kid?)
Teachers at the private schools my kids went to were
often not as experienced - it was not unusual to see
young teachers who a year ago were still undergrads. Pay is lower
in most private schools compared to public, so there is often more
turnover and fresh-out-of-college teachers abound. Young and energetic
is great, but a more experienced teacher has "seen it all" and knows
how to approach all different kinds of kids. My kids had some
really top notch teachers in public school. Yes, there were a couple
of duds but I'd say 85% of the teachers were superior. I also
found that coursework in private schools was
not as varied, and extras like computers and field trips often not as well
funded as in public school.
Of course this is not true of all private schools. But that's
why I say, it depends on the school. Another factor that is sometimes
overlooked is what your experience as a parent is likely to be.
Communication from the administration to parents was
much worse in two of the private schools my kids went to than in
public school. As to individual attention, my experience
was that private school, even a small school with very small class
size, does not guarantee your child will receive more individual
attention than she would in public school. In fact the reverse may
be true: many private schools have a particular type of student in
mind, and classroom instruction is directed to that type of student.
If your child turns out to be not that type of student,
you and your child will be very, very unhappy when you find out (like I did)
that no accommodation will be made. And I'm not just talking about
learning differences. My child's out-of-the-box thinking and creative
dress was not only frowned upon but made fun of by staff at one private school.
In the public schools,
teachers are used to the full range of abilities and personalities, and there
you may find more tolerance, more accommodation for differences, and
more understanding of all the different ways of learning.

But it also depends on the kid.
My youngest is going to private school and probably
will continue there till high school. This is
partly because I just could not deal with the uncertainty of
the BUSD school lottery for K-5
so I went to look at a lot of private schools
and fell in love with one particular private school in Oakland.
But the decision was also based
on my experience with my other two kids. They started
public school all bright eyed and bushy tailed, both in the GATE
program, ahead of the curve in reading and math,
but by 4th grade they both hated school, had stopped
doing homework, and were bringing home Cs, Ds, and Fs which
continued all the way through high school.
There was no more curiosity, no more love of learning. They
started to lose track of basic skills as they moved on to larger
schools and became lost in the crowd. They never got around to memorizing
math basics like multiplication tables, so every year, learning math
got harder and harder. They rarely had to write anything --
English class projects often involved drawing
pictures because creativity was valued more than the mechanics of
sentence and paragraph construction. Somewhere around 4th or
5th grade it became very uncool to be academically focused,
and that attitude prevailed throughout middle school and high school.
Since they had no internal motivation to do anything beyond the minimum,
they floated along, happy
socially, but academics were a thing of the past.
This does not happen to every kid in public school. Many of my kids' friends
did extremely well in BUSD and took full advantage of the
great opportunities that exist in public school, especially at
Berkeley High, and went on to excellent
universities. But my two kids did not, despite tutors,
conferences, and lots of involvement from me. One of my kids did not
even finish high school. And there are other very
nice, bright kids I know who also did not, mostly boys.
Maybe this is a failing of the kid, or maybe I should have tried
harder myself. But I do wonder whether a different school early on
might have made a difference.
I don't know which kind
of kid I've got in my third child because he's only in kindergarten.
Maybe he would be one of the academic-minded, driven kids in public school
who thrive there. But I'm not taking the chance. He is in a school
where I know that it will always be cool to learn, and be curious,
and succeed to the fullest potential that he is able to. He does
not have to be the brightest star in the sky, but if he turns out
to be not very motivated like his siblings,
I know that at least he is in an environment
where everyone around him values intellectual curiosity, and where the
expectation is that he will work to his best capacity. I want him to
get the solid foundation he needs in the early grades so that he will
have the tools he needs to take
advantage of all that Berkeley High has to offer, if that's where
he wants to go. I want him to have a lot of options.

Smart kids can excel and be stimulated in public school. You don't have
to worry that your smart child will get a dumbed-down curriculum, at
least not in Berkeley. And my kids had a good social experience at the
public schools. But for certain kids like mine, maybe a different
school would have worked better.
So I would say, don't assume private will work better than
public or vice versa. Look at the individual schools that you have
to choose from, think about the kind of kid
you've got, and what your own goals are, and take your best shot. Good luck!

Each grade level my son goes up the workload gets more
challenging at his public school. And with the new focus on
''accountability'' and additional money flowing from the state, I
see more public school administrators and teachers demanding more
of their students--and getting results.

My son is in fourth grade at a W. County public school and he has
a young, energetic, and enthusiastic teacher who has guest
speakers in the classroom to build a model marsh and talk about
the wetlands and then they go on study trips to the wetlands; she
requires nightly reading and asks the students to complete a
daily reading journal. She also does hands-on science with the
kids and the PTA has brought so many ''extras'' into the school
that it feels more like the private schools every day--after
school sports, rec, and 2nd language programs, a great library,
and wonderful field trips to explore the Bay Area.

I find that far from ''dumbing down'' the curriculum, the rigorous
CA state standards have raised the bar for all students. My son
is continually challenged in his strongest subject (where he is a
full grade level above some of his peers) and the school really
helps/supports him in the areas where he needs extra help.

His teacher has excellent classroom management skills and runs a
very structured and orderly class where all the kids are expected
to be quiet, respectful toward each other, and polite. They also
have a lot of fun together. I think this might be why we are
starting to see kids trickle in from private and parochial
schools--beginning in 2nd grade.

We don't pay private school tuition but a lot is expected of
parents, teachers, and students. The burden of fundraising is
certainly heavy and, as homeowners, we pay more in parcel taxes
and bond measures to support the public schools. But I want good
schools for my own children and for all the kids in my
neighborhood and if that's what it takes,
I'm willing to do it.

Hello,
Just like with any decision that is tailored to the needs of
your children, I would suggest you make arrangements to sit in
classes at schools you would consider for your child.
Kindergarten as well as higher grades. From what I have heard,
the middle school years are the hardest for kids to adjust to,
so you may consider looking there as well. In both the private
and public schools. I believe you will know what you are
comfortable with, based on the needs of your child and your
personal standards. I have been so very happy in the public
schools in Lamorinda, I encourage you to look there as an
option.
Happy public school parent
You ask an excellent question. For our family, this very
difficult decision boiled down to basically one thing-- where
did we think our daughter would be the happiest AND where would
she get the strongest foundation for learning and the LOVE OF
LEARNING.

Our Oakland public school is one of the top three in the
district with regard to test scores, but I was non-plussed by
the overwhelming drive to score high on the STAR tests, the
bureaucracy of public school (I work in education and am
troubled by the waste, the regulations, the dance of the
lemons, etc.), and the PTA president lamenting that she would
put her kids in private school if she could afford it.

We toured several private schools (many were less appealing to
us than our local public school), looked at moving to ''a better
district'' or even out-of-state, and ultimately decided on a
private school that has been an amazing fit for my child and
our family. She wakes up on the weekends wanting to go to
kindergarten, the class is a diverse mix of kids with families
of all different backgrounds, and they are learning amazing
things in a way that is not limited by state testing
requirements. They also have fabulous classroom assistants, an
amazing array of resources (books, learning materials, math
manipulatives, science equipment, etc.) in a clean, well-
maintained facility. Our local public school still has a number
of classes in portables that have been there ''since I was a
kid'', as one father in his early forties proudly mentioned at
an open house event at the school.

Money is an enormous concern for us, but we ultimately decided
that our children's education is a priority for us. If they can
get a good, strong foundation and be at a place that instills a
love of learning from the start, then we feel we have received
something priceless. We don't care if it's at a private or a
public school, just that it happens. I think another BPN parent
wrote that if their child gets a strong academic foundation and
slowly but steadily develops a love for learning up until high
school, then they will have the skills they need to navigate
the courses, et al. at a public OR private high school and
later on, university. That's our plan for now.

I wish you the very best in this process. My final
recommendation is that you trust your gut when it comes to your
child's education.
fellow parent

I think you ask some really good questions -- we have chosen
public schools thus far for our kids because we think that the
public school environment will encourage them to make the kinds
of choices about their lives that we would hope for.
We hope they will choose careers that focus not so much on how to
make the most money, but on how to do meaningful work that gives
something back to the world, and allows them time to be with
their families and friends. We hope they will focus less on
personal success and more on community, the quality of their
lives, and taking responsibility for their actions in the world.
We hope they will strive to think about how their actions affect
others, and make responsible choices.
I guess we think that public school will encourage our kids to
lead the lives we strive to lead, and instill the messages we
believe in
happy idealist
Forgive me for starting this response with a little ire: I am so tired
of the assumption
that if your kids are in public school they do not need, or are not
getting academiic
challenge! I keep hearing ''I could not send my child to public because
they are too
smart!'' Please - many of us in the public schools have children that
are well above
grade level, and that need academic challenge!
I have two children at Chabot, both who are above grade level - like
many of their
peers. While the public schools are working to ensure that every child
is at grade
level that does not mean they only teach to the grade level. These are
classrooms of
bright, eager, excited students who are getting a fabulous education in
the
classroom along with art, music, gardening, technology, spanish, pe,
etc.... every
week! Yes, there are some students who are not at grade level who need
extra
attention, and yes there are some who get bored at times, but we have
had
wonderful teachers who are able to balance that and make sure that
everybody is
getting what they need - especially when you have active parents who
are working
with the teachers to understand what that is! My children are not only
getting a
good academic experience, they are learning to work in an environment
that looks
like the world around them - where not everything is perfect and not
everyone is
just like them.
Public School Parent
We struggled with the same questions you did in considering
whether to place our children in public or private schools. I
really cannot tell anyone what is right for their particular
child and certainly don't want to start a general forum on
private v. public.

We visited many public and private schools in the Berkeley area.
I strongly suggest that you observe in the upper grades to get a
good feel for the academic environment. Many kindergartens,
especially in the fall, make a gradual transition from nursery
school to kindergarten and so your visit may not be an accurate
snapshot of the kindergarten curriculum. Ask for written
curriculum guides to get an idea of the academic foundation they
provide.

Ultimately we chose a private school (Tehiyah Day School, a
non-affiliated Jewish school) precisely because we felt that for
our children the academic environment, the emphasis on values
education and the Tehiyah community were worth the financial
sacrifice. Although we are not religiously observant, to our
surprise we fell in love with the school. (The range of
observance is very broad and my children have had classmates who
were not Jewish). Our children have made wonderful friends and
through them we have made good friends that are an important part
of our family's life.

The teachers and the curriculum are impressive and the thought
and care provided for each child is touching. In private schools
most if not all the kids come from nursery school and so academic
preparedness is pretty uniform. We felt that in public schools
my son (who was a quiet child) would be overlooked because he was
at or above grade level and there would be other children who
would need more guidance and help.

Our son was an easy student until third grade when became a
''problem' in the classroom. We were flummoxed by the change and
became angry with him because he was getting into constant
trouble. His third grade teacher suggested he get a neuro-psych
evaluation. To our complete astonishment he was diagnosed with
some very subtle learning differences. I fully credit this
awesome teacher who nurtured my son and who recognised the
difference between ''bad boy behaviour'' and his really painful
internal struggle. It was precisely because this teacher was able
to give him her full attention that he was diagnosed. She
couldn't have been more caring and thoughtful.

The school (head, teachers and school psychologist) met with us
regularly (usually every 6 weeks) over the course of his stay at
Tehiyah developing and evolving his lesson plans. Because of
their care and hardwork our son did extremely well at Tehiyah and
was admitted to several private high schools. Ultimately he
decided to attend Berkeley High and is now a junior. (I have to
put a plug in for Tehiyah's athletic program. My son (not
athletic) had never touched a basketball but in 7th grade decided
to tryout for the j.v. team. The kids and the coach encouraged
and supported him and in 8th grade he was voted most
inspirational player by his teammates!)

We had our son evaluated by BUSD before entering high school he
was deemed not eligible for help by the district. He's getting
some outside help with his classes.

We find that the Tehiyah kids at Berkeley High are well prepared
for the ''real world'', both academically and socially. He has
retained his close Tehiyah friends (many are at BHS). Upon
graduation they go on to great academic institutions. (His
freshmen friends from Tehiyah are at Harvard, U. of Chicago,
Northwestern, Haverford, UCSC, etc.) Because Tehiyah also
emphasises creating thoughtful morally-concious graduates, we
feel confident in our son's ability to make the right choices
out in the ''real world''.

I have 2 other children at Tehiyah , an 8th grader and a 6th
grader. Although my 3 kids are very different from each other,
with very different learning styles, they have had a great
education and, as if not more important, are genuinely cared for
by their teachers and peers. We feel that they have educational
opportunities that have been really extraordinary. My 8th grader
just came back from a week in Washington,D.C. and spent a morning
in conversation with Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg!
(I am so jealous.) Our daughter is going to BHS next year and I
feel totally confident that she'll succeed there too.
Our children also played soccer, baseball, ballet, took music
lessons, etc. so they've made friends outside their private
school niche.
I wish you luck in your decision.

Yes - in my kid's school, my high achieving and my average public
school children get the challenges they need in class, and it
helps that I communicate with and work as a team with my kids'
teachers. Differential teaching is working at our public school.
My kids do build their strengths - at different rates, at
different times, in different subject areas...and that is normal.
Our public school is a respectful and safe environment in an
east bay city. The teachers expect the kids to do their
in-school work and do their homework. Upper grade teachers
emphasize how it is the student's responsibility to study and get
the weekly homework packet done. The school is also a rich
learning environment with weekly dance, music and art classes
offered during the school day. Science is taught on its own and
is well-integrated with other subjects, as well. Kids get plenty
of running around time at the 2 or 3 recess periods each day.
anonymous public school parent
I was intrigued by the list posted by the parent at a private
school and so far, here's how the public school we have been at
for 6 years stacks up
They have:

''1. been in small classes with engaged peers (ethnically and
economically diverse);''
It Depends on how you define ''small'' but my kindergarten-age
daughter is in a small class (under 20) and my son is in a class
of 25 (4th grade)

''2. had teachers with boundless energy, hands-on strategies,
interesting projects and fieldtrips;''
With one exception, I would agree that this has been the same at
our public school. We have been very fortunate to have wonderful
teachers and my kids are both excited about school.

''3. experienced afterschool staff who make the best summer camp
counselors look lazy and boring in comparison;''
I am a SAHM so I don't utilize the after school program but I
don't think our after school staff are quite this energetic. They
are competent but not that perky.

''4. school grounds with composting and recycling and play
structures that do not get vandalized or left with trash after a
weekend;''
We have a brand new school generously funded by taxpayers and a
crack team of janitors. We have also won recycling awards. I
would say this is comparable.

''5. a parent community who pitch in when someone is in need, and
who volunteer above and beyond the 20 hr/year commitment, and who
are commitment to the school's mission;''
This is absolutely the same in good public schools, particularly
those where a lot of the kids from the neighborhood are
attending. I probably volunteer a minimum of 20-40 hours per
month at our local public school and I see many other moms (and
dads) pitch in to help. We also have an informal support network
going if someone has a new baby or is at home with a sick kid,
they just call another parent and ask for help. I have been the
recipient and the provider of this kind of assistance.

''6. organic,local produce, hot friday lunches served by volunteers
that supports financial aid programs;''
I don't find W. County district-provided lunches all that
appetizing so we make our 2 kids' lunches every day, that way we
know they are getting healthy food.

''7. service learning projects in the community that range from
planing trees to tutoring to serving meals;''
Our student Council raises money and does a warm clothing drive
every year for a local homeless shelter. They also jumped in to
provide relief for Hurrican Katrina. I think service learning is
pretty standard in public schools now.

''8. administrative leadership that is truly committed to honoring
each child's gifts, and who ensure that the school operates from
its ambitious mission; and

9. a real love of learning.''
I believe this is also true. Our administrators are committed to
ensuring that each child gets a good education, whether they are
gifted in some areas, average, or have learning disabilities or
physical handicaps. Whatever level they are at, they try to bring
them up a level. They also have many, many resources for kids who
truly are struggling--much more than you will find in the private
schools.

''This last point is what is most valuable to our family -- how to
continue to instill a love of learning, a curiousity in the world
around them, and the tools to be smart and engaged citizens.''
Ditto for us as a public school family. We are a modest-income
family living in the Bay Area so the money we save on tuition
allows us to take the kids to a lot of local arts and culturural
stuff. We are also able to afford the occasional family
vacations. The money we save on tuition also enables us to afford
theafterschool enrichment provided on our public school campus
for a fee--music lessons, art, dance, etc.

I personally think the gap between good public schools and
private schools is narrowing but it really depends on the school
-happy public school parent

My son was in private school for 5 years. We moved to Pleasant
Hill and decided to put him in a public school. It was a
complete disaster. Even though my son started 4th grade well
prepared, he fell so much behind that he was recommended for
summer school for both math & writing (a large percentage of the
class was recommended for summer school as well). There were
various reasons. The class size was large, 30 kids, so my son
had difficulty concentrating. There was a lot of chaos in the
class and it was never quiet. Also, I find it very difficult and
sad when all the children (in all of California) have to learn
the same material at the same time in the same manner. This “one
size fits all” system does not work for many children! My son
fell behind when he did not understand the material and the way
it was being taught en when we questioned it, all we would get
was “this is the fourth grade curriculum and you should know how
to do it.” Also, the teacher constantly made him feel bad
because he came from a private school: “didn’t they teach you
cursive over there” was said on a daily basis. There was a lot
of prejudice regarding private schools, and this was shared by
the entire administration. “Private school is inferior because
the teachers do not have credentials and they do their own thing
because they do not test”, is the feeling every one had. When
things were going south, we were sent to the school counselor
who could not even help us with a recommendation because they
told us that since private schools do their own testing, they
have no idea what those kids learn over there. Finally, my son
was bullied every day. He had stomachaches and migraines on a
daily basis. He even made his own pepper spray the last week of
school to protect himself. I have asked many times the policy
on bullying, but never got a straight answer. Despite the fact
that I pay a large mortgage in a so-called “better school
district,” my son is back in private school in Oakland. We drive
every day through the tunnel, but it is worth it. Class size is
small, around 16 kids, a diverse student and staff population.
Teachers and students respect each other. There is little
bullying, and when it happens, it is talked about and nipped in
the butt. My son’s health problems are slowly disappearing with
each and every day. All children will learn when they are in a
supportive and safe environment. In the end, it is all about the
fit. You can have a bad fit in private school and a bad fit in
public school. However, children’s learning styles can vary so
differently, that I find it hard to believe that a “once size
fits all” type of public education is beneficial to our
children. It certainly wasn't for mine!
happy in private school - tried public
As a family with two full-time working parents and a child in
first grade, private school has absolutely been worth it so far
for a reason I don't think has been mentioned yet, which is the
length of the school day. In our school district, our child
would have been in kindergarten for three hours per day, while
at her private school, kindergarten was six hours. In first
grade her school day is seven hours, which I believe is still a
couple of hours longer than in public school in our district.
She goes to on-site after-school care at her school, and we've
been happy with it -- it's a nice opportunity for her to play
with her friends and do some fun activities (cooking, chess,
tennis, etc.) that aren't part of the regular school day -- but
the bottom line for me is that school, not after-school, is the
dominant part of her day. Educationally I think her hours in
school are at least as good as they would be in the public
school, and there's so many more of them. They have time to do
a lot of things that I don't see how they could fit into a
shorter school day (music, science lab, computer lab, library,
PE, art). Nobody at my house wants to be a stay-at-home
parent, and I feel like with private school, we can ''afford'' to
go to work!
Working Mom
One poster mentioned that they felt in public schools there is
a“one size fits all” philosophy and while this may be true for
some public, private, or parochial schools, I have not found this
to be true of the public school my two children attend.
Yes, there are minimum grade level standards that each student is
expected to master. If they do not, parents are informed which
areas students are struggling in and offered resources or
suggestions for how to address those areas.

In the five years I have been a public school parent, I have
never heard a teacher suggest that it was the fault of the
previous school a child attended or ''blame'' anyone for areas that
my children are struggling in. Instead, we have developed good
working partnerships with all our classroom teachers and this has
helped our kids improve academically, socially, and in other ways.
If and when a child is really struggling (far below grade level)
in a single subject or multiple areas, teachers will refer
children for testing and additional services are offered. These
can include small group pullouts, one-to-one referrals for
private tutoring, or free after school academic tutoring.
My son's fourth grade teacher took nine student study trips with
her class last year. She also worked hard to support a science
program so that elementary school students could do hands-on
science experiments with college students. We have a wonderful
music and arts program that supports the core curriculum too. I
feel that all of my childrens' teachers have very high
expectations for every student and they get results.

To say you tried one public school classroom in one school in
California and then decided public school doesn't work for you is
like biting into a rotten apple and deciding that you'll never
eat apples again.

I realize the private vs public school quandary has been hashed over
many times but
I have a more specific question regarding this general topic. There
is little doubt in
my mind that the very best private school is better than even the very
best public
school for what I want for my children, i.e. rigorous academics, small
classes and
avoidance of disruptive behavioral problems in the classroom. The
essential
question is whether the cost of private school education (~15k/yr) is
really worth it
in the first few years of elemtary school? In other words, if you
believe that private
schools indeed offers significant advantages over public, how critical
are the first
few years of schooling? Given my finances, I was hoping that I could
send my child
to public school in Berkeley for K-3rd grade and then send her to
private school in
4th grade when academics become relatively more important and academic
variability between students becomes wider. I get the sense that many
families start
out in private school at Kindergarden so as to avoid the possibility of
not getting
into their school of choice later on, e.g. 4th or 5th grade. Now that
I have to decide
which school to send my child next year, I'm starting to wonder whether
my line of
reasoning is flawed. I would be especially curious to get feed back
from teachers
and/or parents who have been in a position to see the effect of early
school
environment on their child's academic development.
confused parent

As a parent with 2 kids in public school, I think you are far
better off putting your private school tuition into a savings
account for college and giving the local public school a try.
We started out in our local public school with some of the same
assumptions--we'll try it for the first few years with the idea
of moving to something better when our kids get older. What we
didn't factor in was how connected we would feel to the school
community, how rigorous the academics are, and the close
friendships our children would develop after a few years.
If you haven't toured public schools in awhile, you may be
shocked to find out just how good they are--even the districts
that aren't thought of as being the ''best''. Kids are incredibly
resiliant and it's good for them to meet/interact with children
from different backgrounds, it's much better preparation for life
than some of the ''best'' private schools. My public school kids
are very polite and academically-oriented. On our block, the kid
who goes to the really expensive and exclusive private school is
the bully of the neighborhood and has the hardest time making
friends.

I would encourage you to take lots of tours and keep an open mind
public school mom

Hi, I believe I have some experience to share on this since I
have 4 kids - 3 olde girls one college grad, one jr in college
one sr in high sch and a 22 mo son. The girls all went to
private schools and now I am considering where to send my son.
Initially i looked at private because my daughters had fall
birthdays and public schools would mean delaying k a year and
starting them at 5 almost 6. PRivate schools do not always have
the same fall birthday deadlines and have some flex but i
learned they strongly advise delaying a year as well. I then
realized I had other cosiderations to make in the decsion
making process. Even if the age issue is not one you face the
considerations and lessons i learned on our kindergarten search
may be helpful and i would be happy to talk more (I learned
more than I could possibly relate in this email! But my
daughters all had 50% scholarships for private school and the
oldest ended up with a 50% scholarship and grad of Harvard.
The middle is premed at UCSB and the youngest girl at Head
Royce. Since I will be starting the K search again for my son,
I would be glad to share more of my experiences if you are
interested.
Brenda
I would say that, if you feel private school is better, it is
important to start going to private school in kindergarten. You seem
to think that the academic gap will get bigger as the school years go
on but I think it is the opposite. In kindergarten you will have
children that have had 2+ years of private preschool and kids that
have had no preschool at all. Some will be able to read and some will
not know their colors, alphabet, etc. To me, the time when public
school might be acceptable to someone who would otherwise choose
private is high school. Supposing your child has had 8 years of a good
private school and done well there, they would be eligible for all the
advanced, college-prep type classes at a school like Berkeley High.
Finally, practically for you, you should just consider the public
school your child would attend and the private school they would
attend. Observe both classes as soon as you can and then you will have
a better idea of what the differences are
anon
We were in the same dilemma and really questioned whether private
school before the 4th grade was really necessary. The choice was
made for us when we did not get into any of the public schools we
wanted. So we took the plunge with private. We have been very
happy with going private and the school is amazing. Academically
my child is doing work above that of her cousin who is a grade
ahead in public school. Socially the school is a close knit
community and very diverse. We couldn't be happier with the
choice we made but we do pay dearly for tuition. Academics vary
by school (public and private!) so look very closely at what is
most important for you and your family when you decide. Best of
luck in your search.
- RK
For me, YES! Do I kids feel my ''children are well rounded enough to
survive in the
''real'' world? Do they get the attention your money is paying for?”
YES.
We chose Tehiyah Day School for our children because it offers a warm
and caring
learning environment in which our two sons (kindergarten and 3rd grade)
are
learning and growing by leaps and bounds.
Along with providing a solid academic education, art, music and other
classes,
Tehiyah has a welcoming community that has become very important to our
family.
We chose Tehiyah because this is what is offers and offers so
beautifully.
When I began our school search for our oldest son a few years ago, I
discovered
that it was important to choose a school that works not only for my
oldest son but
for our whole family. It is also very important to me that my children
be educated in
a loving environment that teaches them to love learning and creating.
I wanted
them to be sheltered and nurtured at this early stage of life, so that
when they do
go out into the “real” world, they feel a solid foundation inside them.
I feel that
Tehiyah is contributing to a strong foundation for my children. From
the first day
each of them started kindergarten, when the entire school welcomed the
incoming
kindergarteners with a song, our sons have felt included, cared for and
received by
the community and their teachers, as is true for our whole family.
Tehiyah is also
committed to creating a healthy environment for children to develop
real
friendships.
Tehiyah’s approach to kindergarten offers just the kind of balance
between
academic learning and play we were looking for, which means most of the
learning
at this age takes place through play. And they are learning some
wonderful skills!
I didn’t realize how important it was to me for my sons to have a
Jewish education
outside of what they were getting at home....until my oldest son came
home from
kindergarten a few years ago singing Hebrew songs and enthusiastically
unveiling
the challah he made. My children are getting a rich experience of
Jewish culture
and education with an active recognition of the diversity that exists
within the
Jewish world. To me, this is very unique and important.
Go see for yourself. And, good luck!
Miriam
I never knew how difficult it would be to decide on a
Kindergarten for my child when we were presented with this issue
last year. I really thought I would send my kid to public school
because I didn't think of us as an, albeit stereotypical, private
school family. That said, I researched all the public and private
schools that I thought would be a good fit for my child. This is
a difficult process because the kind of child you have when
they've just turned 4 is not necessarily the same child at 5. So
how do you know? I think the best answer is to go with your gut.
I was daunted by the cost of private school, but ultimately chose
private because I felt what this particular school had to offer
my kid was the best balance of what I was looking for. The
teachers are engaged and enthusiastic. The student body is
diverse (for a private school). Music and Art are priorities.
Spanish, gardening, math, science and social awareness are just
some of the subjects they engage in. Community involvement is
integral. As to the public first, private later question, I
believe that these first few years are the most important in
helping your child develop a sense of who they are, building
confidence and self-esteem that will prepare them for the later
years that will be more challenging academically as well as
socially. Will I be able to afford private school through 8th
grade? I hope so, but if I can't, at least I know I did what I
could to help build a solid foundation for my child so that if we
put her in public school later, she will be well prepared. That's
my stance. But the bottom line is, a good education costs....a
lot. Whether it's in money or time, or both. Those that save on
tuition have money left over for other enrichments, lessons and
the like. Private schools have those enrichments included in
their curriculum. So in many ways, it's six of one, half a dozen
of the other. The one advatage I think that private has over
public is the ability to deal with discipline and conflict
resolution head on. At our school, this priority is at the top of
the list. And what kid won't thrive in an environment where they
feel safe and secure? I'm glad I made the decision I did. And the
sweat and tears I shed over making the decison, so far has been
worth it.
And our school? Black Pine Circle
yes, it's worth it
I disagree that the teachers are any more engaged and
enthusiastic in private school. My mother taught at a private
school and was dedicated and passionate. I attended a private
school and had great teachers. My children attend a W. County
public school and their teachers are top notch.
The public school we attend puts a high priority on the visual
and performing arts. We as a parent community raise a lot of
money to be able to pay an art teacher to come to our school and
provide each student with painting, sculpture, and drawing
instruction. We also pay a music teacher so every child receives
music instruction beginning in kindergarten. Upper grade students
can join a drama club. We don't offer an ''immersion'' program as
some public schools do but do offer Spanish classes after school.
We have a school garden, a wonderful library, a very challenging
math curriculum and language arts curriculum, and interactive
hands-on science.

The student council chooses one project to raise money for each
year and the entire school participates. We also have
anti-bullying programs and ''buddy'' programs in place which pair
up older mentors with younger students for special class projects.
Our public school has strict discipline policies and because our
hardworking staff can't be everywhere on a large campus, parents
are encouraged to step in any time they see potential problems
before or after school (esp. rough play that might lead to
fighting or teasing that might lead to bullying). My children
both feel safe and secure in their public elementary school and
we have a close-knit parent community.

There are only slight differences between a good public school
with strong parent involvement and a private school in terms of
the academics, social environment, parent community, and approach
to education.

The biggest differences between private and public schools are
the student demographics (fewer minorities and low-income kids
attend private school), the access to free special education
services (in most private schools, parents are obliged to pay for
these on their own), and, of course, the tuition.

My daughter absolutely loves her preschool--so much that on
weekends, she asks us when she can go back to school!
I am concerned because I have heard that kindergarten can be a tough
year because the state mandated curriculum isn't great-- too much
required at too young an age resulting in lots of memorization drills.
I've
also heard that for children who have attended preschool, it can be
boring due to the kids who haven't attended learning to catch up with
skills such as standing inline, raising hands, etc.
I'd like to hear from parents about these issues and how they
affected
your child's love of school and learning. Was there anything you found
useful to improve the situation? Any helpful advice will be
appreciated.
anon

I was worried about the same thing, but my daughter is
absolutely not bored in kindergarten. There is so much to learn
and enjoy! The structure of the curriculum has turned out to be
a good thing because it makes clear the concepts she has not
caught onto quickly (such as some math reasoning skills). On
the rare occasion she says school was awful or boring, upon
further inquiry it turned out school was awful because her socks
bunched up in her shoes or her hair braids came undone.
--bright child loves public kindergarten

Hi,
We know that these question got asked before, but the most
recent post on this subject was early 2004. Could we possibly
get more recent opinions on the subject of private vs. public
school?
Can our children still get ''good'' education from our public
schools? Can our children learn to be independent thinkers, to
critically analyze situations, to solve problems logically, to
express themselves artistically, to grow up to be good members
of our society (with understanding of responsibility, honesty,
respect, tolerance, etc.) if we send them to public schools (and
we do our part at home as good parents should)? What does it
mean when parents say that they send their kids to a private
school because they believe public schools tend to ''teach to the
test''? What does ''teaching to the test'' actually mean?
What major factors differentiate private schools from public
schools, especially for public and privates schools in
Albany/Berkeley/Kensington/El Cerrito? Have schools changed
very much since a couple of years ago (when public schools were
considering eliminating the K-3 class size reduction and there
was a teacher/parent uproar?)

By the way, we live in Kensington and our child is now in a
private school. We are considering the possibility of moving
our child to Kensington Hilltop for financial reasons. Of
course, our questions are focused on Kensington Hilltop as our
public school choice for the time being. However, we are also
thinking ahead about Albany High School and Berkeley High School.
Choosing a school is such a stressful undertaking. We
appreciate any insights you have. Thank you.
Stressed Out Parents

I did a combination of private and public schooling and we
decided to do public for my son beginning in kindergarten.
He is enjoying his 4th year in a public school (he started in
kindergarten) and while there are many ''assessments'' and he did
take a standardized test for the 1st time in 2nd grade, I don't
feel that it has negatively affected his passion for learning or
his overall enjoyment of school. He scored in the 100% percentile
in math and loves science. He is not a confident reader but the
school is working with him to to help him and I see much
improvement. He also loves his teachers, some of whom we have
developed friendships with outside of school.

His public school does emphasize math and reading as their ''core
curriculum'', both of which are tested. Beginning in upper grades
the standards-based curriculum incorporates science which is also
tested. However, there are many opportunities for students to
take art classes, music instruction, and do student study trips
while at school. These things are not tested but add to the
overall richness of the school experience. Most of these are
subsidized by parent fundraising.

From my perspective, private schools offer parents an opportunity
to feel somewhat ''insulated'' from social problems. That is not
the case in public schools where you are obliged to mix with
families that may not share your parenting style or values.
Our family income (approx. $75K/year) would probably enable us to
send one child to private but not both so that was a factor too.
We may do private for middle school or may not depending on where
our local middle school is when we are ready to take that step.
We also put money away every year into a college savings account
which we couldn't do if we paid for private school.

I hear other parents on my son's soccer team agonize about the
10% hike in tuition every year for their private school and feel
sorry for them. Every year, a few parents end up transferring
into public because they ''hit the wall'' financially.
Also, there are standardized tests in private schools too but you
won't see the results published in the local newspaper.
For me, public schools in partnership with supportive parents do
a good job preparing kids for college and for life. Private
schools do an excellent job preparing kids for college but don't
give kids as many ''life skills''. I see benefits and pitfalls in both.
W. County public school parent

This is an interesting question and I come into the discussion
from several perspectives: a public school teacher who has
taught at El Cerrito HS, Pinole Valley HS, Berkeley HS, and now
Clayton Valley HS. I also taught for 3 years at Maybeck HS
which bills itself as a college prep. school.

I hold a teaching credential although a credential is not
required by many private schools. The private school I taught
at had very little knowledge of how to accommodate ''differently
abled students.'' I also raised some hackles trying to increase
training on issues of sexual harassment. On the other hand, the
small class sizes allowed me to do more detailed projects with
the students. I was responsible for about 45 students per
semester. Each test could have an essay question on it. The
students wrote a 15 page research paper and presented a power
point based on it. The Health Science class I taught was far
more liberal and far ranging than what I am allowed to teach in
a public school. For example, for years someone from Good
Vibrations Education Division visited and did a talk with
visual aids. A parent who worked for Planned Parenthood
supplied me with condoms to distribute to students. We were
able to dis! cuss gender issues much more openly and the school
had an openly gay and lesbian population among both students
and faculty. The public school I teach at now is much more
conservative. However, I taught to the state standards equally
in both schools and the students probably learned a similar
amount of information, did labs, had to analyse results, etc.
At my present school, I am responsible for grading close to 200
students, teaching 6 classes of about 32 students each. It is
taking me longer to get to know my students and I cannot give
them essay exams. The projects I assign are less detailed and
more superficial, but the students learn the same skills in
public speaking and power point presentation. Instead of just
lecturing as I often did in private school, I need to divide
the period into a number of varied activities. If your student
is bright and can work in a large classroom, they can probably
achieve a higher G! PA at a quality public school. For example,
BHS offers many AP courses. The private school may be more
challenging in curriculum, I don't know if they really can get
into any better colleges. One of my students at the private
school was very bitter because he had a 2.4 at the private
school whereas he felt like he would have had a 4.0 at a public
school. When he was trying to get into his first choice
college, he may have had thoughts about whether his parents'
money was best used for a private high school.

I have two elementary school age children so I am interested in
these questions. Disclaimer: I can only speak to the schools in
which I have taught.
kathryn

My daughter has been in public school in a ''bad'' district (west
contra costa) for nine years. The schools are not really bad,
or I would not send her there. About teaching to the tests. I
have never noticed any effort to prepare the kids to take
standardized tests. However, each grade level does have a
series of educational goals (thank god) that are to be met. The
goals are supposed to be in line with what is being tested. The
kids use standardized textbooks, some which I have seen in use
in private schools. Some teachers deviate from the textbook.I
think what people mean by ''teaching to the test'' is that they
think the teaching is regimen! ted and basic. Although I think
there is less room for creativity on the part of teachers in
public school, I have seen quite a bit of creativity. In 8th
Grade science, my daughter's class spends most of the class
time doing hands-on labs. I only started doing that in
chemistry in 10th or 11th grade. Her tests cover advanced
concepts that I never learned in high school at all. She also
had an outstanding art class which integrated art concepts and
history with painting, ceramics and other forms of art. Some of
the kids had their artwork in a show at the Richmond Art Center
and I was impressed with the work. In the drama class, the kids
write their own script and work on a performance which is given
at the end of the year. Lots of English lessons sneak into
scriptwriting. Also, the kids experience public speaking which
is helpful in any endeavor in life.

If you are considering public school, I suggest that you talk
to some parents who have kids in the school you are thinking
about. If you don't know any, find out about the PTA and make
contacts that way. Unfortunately, most of those who wring their
hands about public schools have dismissed them without making
any inquiry, other than, perhaps, test scores, which is a whole
different subject. Suffice to say, if your kid is testing well,
it doesn't really matter how other kids are testing. If your
kid is not testing high but doing well in school, then maybe
he/she doesn't perform well on standardized tests. No big deal--
-that's what Kaplan is for before taking the SAT.
glad you asked

I have a child who is doing well in a BUSD elementary school and
have taught in BUSD and in a private school. Your choice of
school needs to be determined by your values and by your child.
The advantages of the public schools are that all the teachers
are credentialed/trained, they know how to work with a diverse
group of children, you will meet people in your community, your
child will get to know students from a broad range of families,
and your child will be aware of their relatively advantaged
situation (since you have the wherewithal to choose). You will
also have money to spend on summer enrichment, and afterschool
classes as your child gets older. My bright child (GATE, etc.)
has had a number of teachers who have recognized her strengths,
and allowed her to take the curriculum a step farther. I have
also know children with learning difficulties who were excluded
from the private schools where they attended the early grades,
and after moving to public school were able to get the services
they needed.

The disadvantage/advantage of the public school is that your
child will need to learn to share materials and a culture with
children from many backgrounds, including children from at-risk
situations. We are working with my daughter on being accepting of
other children, while staying assertive about her own needs and
values.

The set curriculum of the public school is also an
advantage/disadvantage depending on your point-of-view. For
example, the teacher is unlikely to be able to devote weeks to
involved social studies or science projects. On the other hand,
you know that when your child arrives in high school the will
have the prerequisites to succeed. Some students moving from
private K-8 schools to high school, have difficulty with both the
social and academic demands. My child, has often come home and
been excited about topics or skills they are learning in her
class; so my sense is that many of the teachers are able to
balance the ''fun'' projects/topics with meeting the state curriculum.
The advantage of a private school is that your child will be in
an environment where the other children are from similar
backgrounds (they may differ in race at the more diverse private
schools, but they will rarely differ significantly in class
background.) This means your child may get more attention,
depending on the teacher. Some private schools are able to
accomodate children with learning issues smoothly (but be sure to
check, because learning issues sometimes don't become apparent
until 2nd or 3rd grade.) Private schools provide greater
opportunity to specialize whether in art, music, language, or
religion. My impression is that the parent communities at private
schools are also closer, which for many is an advantage.
Visit schools and think about your child's personality. Where
would they be comfortable? Where would it be a stretch but
worthwhile? Don't make a choice out of fear of the public schools.
anon

Wow that's a great set of questions. Here are some thoughts to a
few of them.

Question: Can our children still get ''good'' education from our
public schools?

Answer: An emphatic "yes." Having visited dozens of schools in
the East Bay, I can tell you that thousands of students are
learning to be independent thinkers, to understand civic
responsibility and to love learning. Parents do and are playing
a critical role by reading to their children and by creating
"teachable moments" at the dinner table. Equally importantly,
parents can let each child know that learning is important and
that s/he can succeed at school.

Question: What does ''teaching to the test'' actually mean?

Answer: "Teaching to the test" can mean either teaching students
the content (e.g. the facts and skills) that will be on the test
OR teaching students test-taking skills (e.g. how to approach a
multiple choice question that follows a 3-paragraph essay).
In the past few years, the state of California has changed the
test that measures student achievement and school success.
Currently, the California Standards Tests (CST) are the tests
given the most weight (or credence) by the government. The CSTs
measure if students have learned the content (i.e. algebra
skills, writing techniques) described in the California Content
Standards. As a result, local public school teachers who "teach
to the test" by teaching students the content that will be on the
CST are helping their students. [For more clarification or for
guidelines on how to distinguish "good teaching to the test" from
"bad," contact me directly.]

Question: What major factors differentiate private schools from
public schools, especially for public and privates schools in
Albany/Berkeley/Kensington/El Cerrito?

Answer: When comparing schools, you can look at
- Student outcomes
- Educational approach
- School size and structure
- School norms, culture and religion
- Cost
There is tremendous diversity among private schools as well as
between public and private schools. Before visiting and
comparing schools, you may want to decide what type of school
environment will be best for your children and for you. Then,
you can compare public and private schools.
Debbie

Our 6th grade daughter has attended a small private school
for the past seven years. She now is making the decision
of where does she go for middle school. Does she continue
at the small private school, does she go to a charter
school that we, her parents like, or does she go to the
large public middle school (900 pupils) in our district?
In two years She will be attending the public high school
of 2,000 pupils in our district. Any advice on how she
can make the best decision would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you
Needing Sound Advice

In response to ''Needing Sound Advice'' in the June 9th
newsletter, who was wondering whether to keep his/her
daughter in private school or send her to a public middle
school:

I have a daughter at King and a son who is just finishing at a private school
and is moving to Berkeley High next year. I also am a writer coach (an
in-school tutor) at Longfellow, and BHS, which is to say that I have some
experience with the work the students are doing in English, at least, and have
witnessed some of what goes on in the classroom.

I've only experienced one classroom at Longfellow, but the teacher was
spending more than half her time just trying to keep some semblance of order.
She was ignored by most of the class, ''students'' were answering cell phones,
having conversations with each other, getting up and walking around, sleeping,
leaving the classroom without asking permission, fighting; you get the idea.
Essentially no learning was happening.

There are discipline issues with some of the kids at King but the classroom
environment I've seen there is much more conducive to learning, and I'm
reasonably happy with the education my daughter is receiving.

I think King is OK, otherwise my advice would be to keep her in private school
until she enters BHS. She'll be better equipped to succeed.

Finally, moving up to Berkeley High is also, I now think,
problematic. Though my son will be there next year, I'm
beginning to regret the decision to send him. My thinking is
precipitated by the fact that that they've restructured the
entrance procedure for the college-preparatory track (called
''Academic Choice'') so that, though 100% of the kids in West
Berkeley were admitted, less than 30% of the applicants in the
Hills were admitted. They scaled back the size of the program
considerably to achieve this "socioeconomic balance." (There's
an article on this topic in the most recent BHS Newsletter
http://bhs.berkeleypta.org/newsletter/0506news01.htm ,
which contains a list to the actual statistics.)

Last year, anyone who applied could participate.

Leaving your child in a private school will give you more
options when it comes time to consider high school.

I'm a mom of a preschooler, and am starting to wonder if I'm
going to really do a disservice to my child next year by not
sending him to private school or moving to Lamorinda for the
schools. We live in Oakland, and he can go Montclair school,
based on where we live. I believe that there are pros and cons
at every school, and a lot is dependent on the family
environment, and your child.

However, just about everyone (that has a soon-to-be-
kindergartener) I have come in contact with at his preschool,
the park, the grocery store seems to be frantically trying to
get their child into a private school, or is moving through the
tunnel or into Piedmont just to get into a good school district.
I grew up on the other side of the Caldecott Tunnel and do not
consider sending my kids to school there an option for our
family. Ugh. I also don't see how we can come up with the
thousands and thousands of dollars that it takes for private
school, even if we got accepted to one.
It seems like such a frenzy, this school thing! Is it like this
everywhere in the US? Am I nuts to think that my son will get a
decent education in the Oakland schools? Will my child suffer
later in life for not getting as good an education as someone in
Orinda or at Head Royce, etc.? I'd love to hear from Oakland
public school parents that are happy about their decision to
send their kids to an Oakland school. Thanks.
--nuts about school

Get over it already. Do what is right for your child and your
situation and don't look what the Jones' are doing! I mean this
in a nice way. You'll make the right decision for your family,
but don't get swayed by popular demand. Private schools are not
for everyone as are public. See what fits your child and
family. Good Luck! P.S. Be proud of your choice and stand
behind it.
Anon
We are a family whose youngest child is about to graduate from high school in
Oakland, and we've endured quite a lot over the years from Oakland hills ''school
crazies.'' Many of our neighbors look at us like we're child abusers for sending our
kids to public school, but we wouldn't be doing it if we didn't sincerely believe that
they are receiving a BETTER overall education than they'd get in the private schools
we have access to or in suburban schools like we ourselves attended.

There are lots of roads to a good education and different children thrive in different
kinds of environments. In Oakland, there are good public schools and bad public
schools, and good private schools and bad private schools. But mostly it's about
the student, and the family, and the particular teacher(s) involved. Some kids really
need the focused individual attention of a private school environment in order to
thrive, and others find it restrictive to their spirit of inquiry and imaginations,
and even hard on their capacity to have a good time and feel good about themselves.

(Bottom line, your child's success in school -- by test scores, grades, or any
measure -- is best predicted by YOUR level of education, YOUR family income, and
YOUR reading and learning habits and attitudes about their school.)

Our children actually started their education in a private school, but we switched
them to Joaquin Miller Elementary in Montclair before too many years. There was
nothing WRONG with the private school, but we were worried about the small
universe it represented. With only 50 or a hundred kids in a school, you can have
small classes but you will also have fewer choices. That may be okay depending on
what your choices ARE, but we didn't feel like our boys were being stimulated
enough by the unexpected. Everything in their world was something we had put
there and controlled. For parents, that can be a comforting feeling, but long-term I
question whether it's in the children's best interests.

There are many things that some public schools may be BETTER equipped for than
some private schools. For example, Joaquin Miller was better equipped to diagnose
and treat a learning disability in one of our sons, which saved him a lot of grief and
frustration -- I imagine they would have caught it eventually at the private school,
but they didn't have specialists in this. And we didn't have a clue until we started
working with the learning specialists in the public school system.

Our kids did the Joaquin Miller - Montera - Skyline path. All three were good
schools (though I question how good a middle school CAN be, given the difficult
age.) If you look at hills elementary schools test scores, they're exactly the same
as
other schools with the same socio-economic background, public or private. In the
schools we attended, there were good teachers and bad teachers, interesting
experiences and boring ones, successes and failures. Just like life.

Now, we notice that our kids' friends who graduate from Skyline are going to the
same colleges as their friends who graduate from Bishop O'Dowd. They seem to
have the same kind of academic background in terms of AP classes and
opportunities ranging from international travel to scholarships. Anecdotally, we
hear that kids who do really well in a large diverse urban public school are more
scholarshipable than kids out of homogenous suburban schools or private schools.

The thing that makes us happiest, though, is the sense that our kids have had a lot
of exposure during years when we were here to help them filter it. They're entering
the world more confident and savvy than we did. They've known all kids of kids and
experienced all kinds of diversity -- not just ethnic diversity, which is hardly
worth a
comment any more in our town. They have gone to school with rich kids and poor
kids, smart kids and dumb kids, achievers and trouble-makers -- they've been
exposed to many languages, religions, cultural behaviors. They've always had a
strong family caring about them at home, but they know kids who don't, so they
understand the value of it a little better than we did at that age. They know how
negotiate a bureaucracy, how to resolve a conflict, how to communicate with people
very different from themselves. They are unlikely to feel overwhelmingly
uncomfortable in a new environment, and we feel confident that they will get along
in the world as good citizens of the 21st century. One is a junior now in the UC
system, and the other is applying to a dozen excellent colleges and is full of
anticipation and excitement about the opportunities ahead of him, for which he is
eminently competitive.

I strongly encourage you to visit whichever of the Montclair schools would be ''your''
elementary school. Go to a show or a concert, or a spring fair or walkathon, and
take your child. Talk to parents of kids in the school. (Don't automatically believe
the doom-and-gloom anti-public school crowd. Most of them have no actual
experience in your school, in your situation.) Then whether or not you decide that
private school is the best thing for your child, you'll have made the decision with
knowledge, not just based on fear, and you will feel good about it. And believe me,
your child will be more successful if you feel positive about her school.
Kathy

Stay calm! We moved to the Joaquin Miller school neighborhood
two years ago precisely so our son could enter kindergarten
there. Besides having the high test scores everyone is looking
for (but don't necessarily matter all that much) it is a
FABULOUS school community made up of great kids and parents who
all work hard to support the school. I feel that the parents
and teachers there feel it is their responsibility to do all
they can to do the MOST they can for the children. The faculty
are incredible, the principal as well - we've had some serious
issues regarding food allergies and she has gone out of her way
to support us, work with us and make the rest of the school
community aware. Our son absolutely LOVES his school, feels
safe and happy there, and is absolutely thriving. I realize how
the OUSD situation looks to a ''newbie'' parent who, of course,
wants the best education for his/her child - unfortunately, it
seems that the parents who do have the time/money to spend
working for their child's school and its improvement are
fleeing en masse to the private schools (and often because they
are afraid of the middle/high school situation). I say, STAY
and support OUSD and its schools - you are able to enroll in
the Montclair trifecta and I've no doubt you'll be more than
satisfied with the education your child will receive. It's so
much more than test scores; it's whether the school is a
community that surrounds and nurtures its students to be good
people. That's what we've found and we hope more people run to
it, not away. Please visit your local school and see for
yourself!
andrea
It is true-our public schools are really very bad right now. And it is also true,
private
schools are just better than public schools. Some children can do okay at public
schools, but in truth, private schools are simply better and give children a better
chance at getting the supreme education that they deserve.
For the first three years (K, 1st. and 2nd) I attended a wonderful private school that
me advantages that public schools couldn't afford or didn't have the time to give
me.

In short, you child might get a fine education at public, but in reality, private
schools really just provide better opertunities for children.
Amy

As a parent who has used both the public and private schools, I
don't agree that private schools are always better. Private
school has been a good fit for my daughter but not for my son.
In fact, I regret moving him from public to private as he needs
accommodations not allowed for in the private school. I've also
found that the private school teachers at the K-8 school he
attends are less informed about learning differences and
generally have fewer years of teaching experience than the public
school we left. The teacher turnover has also been high. I
really can't say that it's been worth the price we've paid. You
can buy loads of enriching activities for 15K.
I'm sure there will be lots of responses to this but I wanted to
chime in about the private vs. public school issue.

I attended a small Christian private school in Southern
California from first through fourth grade and while the
academics were more challenging (we got pretty good at memorizing
bible verses), the social environment left a lot to be desired. I
was elated to be able to transfer to the local public school in
5th grade. The public school was larger, had more electives and
activities, and more opportunities to meet people who didn't look
like me (caucasian).

Basically, I wanted a wider world to conquer and I enjoyed having
friends who were Asian, Black, and Latino which wouldn't have
been possible in the private school I attended because they
didn't exist.

Public schools mirror the real world and private schools can
become somewhat insulated which feels protective and comforting
for some kids and suffocating for others.

Also, if you can afford it financially, great. However, if mom
and dad are so stressed about paying for private school that they
can't afford to get the family car fixed or won't be able to save
money for college, it's not worth it. For us, it was better to
save the money that we would have paid toward tuition and put
that into a college savings account.

If you want to stay calm about choosing a school (or almost any
parenting issue), it's best to avoid parents with dogmatic views
on the private vs. public school issue.

Do your own research and make an informed decision.
anon

I'd like to respond to a response about public vs. private. I
think that most public schools are given short shrift due to
the current crisis in OUSD; however, this is certainly NOT a
reason to generalize that ''in reality, private schools are
better than public''. It most definitely depends on the school -
test scores are not a wholly accurate depiction of how good a
school is, and just because one is paying a high tariff
for ''the supreme education that children really deserve'' does
not mean that is what one's child gets. We are thrilled with
not only the education our son is receiving at his PUBLIC
school, but also the way the school environment is shaping him
as a whole person. It's a diverse, friendly, supportive and
stimulating community that is clearly being overlooked by those
who think that a good education comes only from private. There
are pros and cons for both situations but I find it quite
unfair and a bit closed-minded for one person to summarily
dismiss the benefits and value of a public education. It seems
that this kind of thinking is what drives people away from
supporting their local public school and, in turn, the school
loses funding and support. Each school, public and private, is
different, and parents of school-age children need to do their
homework in investigating what is best for THEIR child rather
than assume that private schools will ''provide better
opertunities'' for children.
andrea
I think that it is impossible and grossly uninformed to make a
categorical statement that private is better than public school
or vice versa. There are multitudinous advantages and
disadvantages to both, and, of course, there is the not-so-minor
thing of considering who your child is as a learner and who your
child is psycho-socially. I am of the mind, as an educator, that
a good public school beats a good private school, any
day--academically-speaking. The reasons for such a belief is
that the curriculum is ''protected'' by the public school's legal
obligation to follow state and national standards. You would be
astonished at the number of accredited, coveted private schools
that play fast and loose with curriculum and are not taken to
task for such a breach because of multiple factors, one of the
greatest factors being that parents do not have the
ability/access to assess grade-wide curriculum in a given grade
because their child only inhabits one of 2 or 3 fifth grade
clases, for example. And some parents are fearful, justifiably,
sometimes, in taking on the hard-to-get into private schools
about the shortcomings of such a school. Yet another academic
advantage of the public school is that the teachers have (!) to
be credentialed and are higher paid than the teachers at
independent schools; this is not so in the independent school,
even accredited ind. schools lack credentialled teachers.

Some kids would perish, socially, at certain public schools
because of their size and chaos while other kids absolutely
thrive on the vibrance of a school that has an energy reflective
of disparate learning and social styles.

Another consideration about selecting schools is
diversity--racial, socioeconomic, scholastic, etc. The public
schools in the upper middle class neighborhoods (Piedmont,
Orinda, Lafayette, etc.) and the private schools have much in
common with the largely privileged student and parent population
they are serving. Would it bother you to have your child largely
surrounded by upper, middle class kids and the good and bad stuff
that goes along with that? This is a question that I am asking
myself as my child is likely moving on to a high school whose
price tag is $23k/yearly.

Some private schools feel that tracking is a dirty word and, so,
where does that leave the kid with tremendous math endowment who
needs to be challenged. King Middle School, a mixed bag,
invariably sends their talented 8th grade math students to
Berkeley High to take Honors Geometry, early in the morning.
Ind. Schools don't do that. Lowell High school and Berkeley High
have the most rigorous Math and Science around, more than the
Independent schools such that there been years when AP Bio
students, in one class, have scored nothing less than a ''4.'' At
the same time, BHS has poor English, mostly, mediocre modern
languagues, and superlative Latin. Just some examples of the
contradictions that can co-exist in the same school.

Finally, the ind. schools cannot provide the learning specialist
and services (such as occupational/speech therapy) that the
public schools can. And, contradictory to a lot of parents'
expectations, private schools, too, can have a bullying culture.
Paying tuition doesn't eliminate human frailty, certainly.

My kids are in private school for psycho-social reasons more than
any other reason. They are very bright, easy learners, but
inclined to a healthy reserve that is better served in a smaller
school. I think that if a child does not have any acute needs,
learning-wise, for example, school selection should be very
sensitive to who the child is psycho-socially. A happy child who
likes his/her school, feels safe and happy at school, will learn
in that school, be it public or private.
Public school educator, private school parent

I need an advice to decide what to do with my son's Kindergarten next year.

My son lives in a district of Madera school in El Cerrito. While we heard very
good thing about Madera, I am considering applying for a transfer to
Kensington Hilltop school since most of his preschool firends will go there, but
none of them will to Madera. In order to make a decision I wanted to visit both
schools, but found out that they do not allow any visits. They have open house
days in Februrary and March.

While thinking about public Kindergarten, we also wanted to visit private
kindergartens in our area too. They do allow us to visit starting from October.
However, the last day to turn in an application is in January, which is before
public school's open house. Off course it does not guarrantee our acceptance
to a private school, nor do we know yet if we can afford it or not. However in
order to consider it we still need to turn in an application.

Frist, I grew up in Japan, so I do not have the feel of what both public and
private schools are like. For my son's prechool we could visit most schools ,
even a city-run preschool, to decide. In this case, first, we cannot
know about public schools. Second, even though we can know about private
schools through visits, there is no way for us to compare them to public
school.
Third, we still need to take some action without having any way to know which
school would be best for my son. Even if we do take some action, we still do
not know whether my son can transfer to Kensington, or he can get into a
private school or not. (Well, I just realized,,,, the only thing we know is that
he
can definitely go to Madera Kindergarten since we live in its district,,,.)

Part of my worry probably comes from normal anxiety that any parents are
having when sending their kids to Kindergarten for the first time. However, on
top of that I think my anxiety comes from not growing up here, thus I just do
not know how public Kindergarten is run in this area. I just do not have a clue.
I am also frustrated because in the past when we needed to make some
important decisions, we tried researching in depth about them, educated
ourselves, and came to our final decision. In this case, we cannot SEE the
program of public school. We can only rely on other people's opinions about
those schools. We cannot have OUR OWN opinions because we cannot SEE the
program.

I do not know what I am asking here, but I wonder if anyone can consult me to
deal with my frustration and anxiety toward this issue.
Thank you very much.
Worried mom of 4.5 years old boy,,,

I think choosing/preparing your child for kindergarten is a huge
stress. Although I taught kindergaten for 10 years in our local
school district, I faced many of the same issues you are now
facing - mainly that you have to apply to private schools before
you can even visit the public ones. I recommend keeping your
options open - visit the private schools you're interested in -
East Bay Schools Guide and Neighborhood Parents Network both
publish yearly directory with good information about private
schools. Apply to the private schools you think would be a good
fit for your family. Then, when you are *allowed* to visit the
2 public schools, do so. We did all that and in the end chose
our local public school. It was a lot of work but very
interesting and we then felt confident about our choice. I'd be
happy to discuss further with you (e.g. what to look for in a
kindergarten...)
Betsy
A private school in your area, just down the hill from Madera,
is Windrush. It's a terrific school, at a (comparatively!)
reasonable price, with small classes and a very welcoming
environment on a 4-acre campus. My son started kindergarten
there last month and loves school - he says this must have been
what he ''grew up'' for.

I know it's a pain to have to apply before you know for sure
what you want to do, but it always seems to me to be better safe
than sorry. Worst case, you've spent an unnecessary application
fee or two. On the other hand, if you don't apply and later
want to, you've got no options.
I agonized for 2 years about kindergarten, so I have some idea
how you feel. (My son has a late birthday, so we didn't know
when he'd start). Good luck!
Kathleen

Dear Anxious Parent --
It is certainly a stressful time when looking at kindergarten for our children. I have a 6 yr
old girl and a 9 yr old boy attending
Crocker Highlands Elementary School in Oakland. First, do not give up hope for your public
school! Contact the school
office and ask them to put you in touch with the PTA. A parent should be able to answer your
most basic questions and
perhaps give you a brief tour before Information Night and Open Enrollment. Second, you need
to decide whether private
school is a viable option for you. Cost is a huge factor for many of us who are not
comfortable mortgaging our futures at
least not for elementary school where there may be little or no compromise on the quality of
education. Third, think about
where you want to build community. Your child will make friends easily with classmates; play
dates will be arranged; and you
will develop friendships with the parents of your child's friends by extension. Fourth, do
not select a school where you will not
be welcome in the classroom. You should always be involved in your child's classroom
education -- good schools and good
teachers know how important your role is. You are not simply a signature on a check.
Let me know if you have further questions or concerns.
Judy
Yes, you CAN visit public kindergartens! Schools like to tell
you to come just on a particular day, but my understanding of
the law is that you can go to any public school and visit at
any time. You must sign in and out in the office. They may
not allow your child to visit, however.
R.K.
I went through the whole school choosing thing myself last year
so I know how anxiety producing it is. While you do have certain
time lines you need to follow if you want to apply to private
school - you have until March (when private schools send out
their acceptance letters) before you have to make any firm
decisions. So take this time to do the research you need to do.
Asking parents of this newsletter was a great place to start.
Hopefully parents of kids at Madera and Kensington Hill School
will give you some feedback. How about going to events at these
schools? Schools often have fairs, plays, etc. that you can
attend. Call the school for a schedule. Also look around your
neighborhood for school age kids and approach their parents for
info on Madera.

Private schools are doing intensive recruiting right now. Check
out the Neighborhood Parent's Network Private School Directory
for a comprehensive listing of schools, their website is
www.parentsnet.org. I know Prospect Sierra, Crestmont School and
Windrush are in your neighborhood so call them about attending an
open house and getting a school tour. The more schools you look
at the savvier you will get at seeing what you want and what
would work for your child.

We ended up deciding against public school because we feel the
emphasis on standardized tests was shaping the curriculum in a
way we didn't like. Schools are under enormous pressures these
days to score well on tests, sometimes at the expense of creative
and innovative teaching methods. That said, there are a lot of
really terrific public schools and you're right in thinking you
need to visit to really know if you like either of the public
schools you mentioned. After visiting private schools you will
have something to compare to when you visit the public schools.
You can compare the curriculum and the extracurricular activities
(physical education, art, music, dance, other languages, school
aftercare programs, etc).

Personally in your position I would register for Madera, apply
for a transfer to Kensington Hill and visit and apply to private
schools. I would cover all my options while I bought myself time
to meet up with other parents and ponder what I think would
benefit my child. It is hard to picture what your child will be
like a year from now - that's where the preschool can come in
handy. They could probably make some recommendations as to what
type of environment he might do best in (for ex. I have a really
active boy so I chose a school that lets the kids get up and move
around a lot in class). I know just how overwhelming this can be
so I wish you the best in making your decision
Good Luck!

Hello,
I was in your situation last year and would like to share my
experience. My husband and I live in Kensington and we thought
that we would just send our daughter to Kensington Hilltop and
life would be perfect. It didn't quite work out that way.

Kensington is supposed to be a very good school -- everyone said
so. However, you're quite right -- we don't get to see the
classroom in action before we make the decision about the
school. We had to rely on the comments out there, and that made
me a bit nervous. In addition, Kensington Hilltop has a half-
day kindergarten program. My husband and I both work full-time.
This makes the after-school program very important to us (since
our daughter will be there for half a day). We visited the
after-school programs and I was disappointed at what I see.
There is nothing wrong really. I just hope for more -- more
meaninful, fun activities, less like ''after-school'' and more
like ''the place to be''. My husband thought the school and the
after-school program were all right, but I was not at all
happy. In fact, I was depressed about it. I want a happy place
for my daughter to learn. Somehow, I couldn't see it at the
combination of Kensington Hilltop and the after-school program.
I know that there are many happy parents at Kensington and that
it is a good school. I just want more. At the time, I couldn't
express very well what ''more'' I want. I just felt that
something was lacking; I just felt lost. Now I know. I want a
place where my daughter learns many things, most importantly,
how to grow to be a good member of our society. Also, a place
where everyone knows her name, where she can have fun, where she
can be herself, where she is encouraged to speak up, where
respect for others is emphasized, where I can feel comfortable
that someone cares about her. That's not too much to ask, is it?

By the way, I forgot to say that I am also an immigrant. I have
never been in Kindergarten, in this country or in the country
where I was born. I had to do research to find out how the
elementary school system works here. Not too hard for me
because my husband is Caucasian and he was born in NY. However,
the fact that I've never been through an elementary school in
this country makes it a bit harder for me to visualize how life
would be for my daughter in school.

So, I started the private school search in September 2002. I
was doing the private school research while my husband did the
public school research (that was the time when the Governor was
going to cut the public school budget, increase class size,
etc.). It was a very stressful time for us. My husband
attended many parent meetings with the West Contra Costra school
district. The more we learn about this school district, the
more depressed we became. We then applied to a private school
in El Cerrito. We applied, got on the wait list, but couldn't
go further. We then looked at Pacific Academy in Richmond.
This time, we got in. Our daughter is now in Kindergarten at
Pacific Academy. We have the world's best Kindergarten teacher,
Mrs. Christine Trotter. Our daughter is learning reading,
writing, music, PE, art, Spanish, ballet. This month, the kids
are learning about the ocean and they are going to Steinhart
Aquarium next week. (I've volunteered to chaperone the kids on
this field trip -- something I've never done before! This
should be fun!) Our daughter has good friends. Parents are
wonderful and friendly. Cultural diversity is very apparent and
honored. In addition to the academics, the school is teaching
the kids about school values such as courage, compassion,
responsibility, honesty, etc. This is especially important to
me. There is a school assemby for K-3 children and teachers
every Monday to talk about these school values. How cool is
that? Although Pacific Academy was our 2nd choice in private
school, we are very happy here and our daughter is also very
happy.

Pacific Academy was founded by Mrs. Faith Nomura and her late
husband. Mrs. Nomura is still involved with the lower campus.
(The School has two campuses -- K-3 on Carlson, Richmond and 4-8
at Hilltop.) In fact, she is teaching my daughter and her
friend to read during the after-school hours. She does this with
the kids whenever she has time. There are a lot of Asian
families at the school (maybe because the school was founded by
this Japanese couple?) But there are also non-Asian families.
Our Kindergarten classroom is quite diversed -- Chinese,
Japanese, Mixed (two families of Asian and Caucasian), Persian,
Caucasian, Indian, Latin. All are welcome at the school and all
kids are treated with loving care, as far as I can tell.
Japanese is also taught as an elective language for K-8 (you can
pick either Japanese or Spanish). I don't know the upper campus
(4-8) very well, but will learn about it soon.

I am not advocating for private schools, or for Pacific
Academy. I am only sharing my experience. Private schools are
expensive and the financial burden is a real burden. (I'm
feeling it every pay check.) I respect what teachers in public
schools are trying to do with limited resources. (I cannot say
that I respect the administrators of this school district.) I
understand the good reasons why parents send their children to
public schools. We have friends with kids in Kensington Hilltop
and they are happy there. For me, at least for now, I find what
I want for my daughter at Pacific Academy. Every time my
daughter tells me about things that happen in her class or
teaches me to sing, I am overjoyed. For now, I decided that we
made the right decision.

Oh, financial. Private school's tuition runs around $12,000 -
$15,000 for the 10-month school (this includes the ''building
fee'', the insurance tuition, the book). There is a private
school in El Cerrito (not the one I applied to) that may exceed
this range now. Pacific Academy is on the lower end of that
range (around $12,000). After-school programs are additional
(around $2,000-$3,000). Extra classes for the after-school
hours are additional (about $125-$150 per class for a 10-week
class at Pacific Academy). Summer camps will of course be
additional. This is expensive, no doubt about that.

It is hard to make a comparison between private and public
schools. We didn't quite figure out the best way. For the
public school, we used the reputation and the experience of
other parents as a guide. We used our interaction with the
school district to enhance our thinking. For the private
school, we read the website, toured the school, talked to people
with kids in the school. Then, frankly, I followed my heart.
Oh, I also prayed A LOT. I was in tear; I was desperate. So, I
prayed and prayed and prayed. God was listening. We got a good
school!!

It might make you feel better to know that you're not alone. I
was there last year. I experienced the pain (yes, it was
painful!) I wish you and your son all the best. If you want to
talk to me some more, you can e-mail me at kabmommy98@yahoo.com.
Good luck!
Anonymous

Many local private schools do expect applications to be
completed in January, but don't extend offers of admission until
March. Meanwhile you will have a chance to check out the public
schools before you need to make a decision- you need to do this
in any case, in case the private school you want doesn't accept
you. It's really a toss-up to get into the most popular private
schools. Your only real problem is the interdistrict transfer-
they may not tell you if it is approved until just before school
starts, so you will have to make your decision regarding private
schhols with that in mind. Esp. in regards to the Kensington
school- it is the most popular in the district, and you will
only get in if there are spaces not filled by all your child's
classmates who live in Kensington.
anon
Dear Worried Mom:
You're right. Planning the first steps in your child's
educational path is a very daunting responsibility. (I was
right there with you this time last year!) Those steps are the
very ones that set our children off toward the bright future we
dream of for them. These are important, lasting choices. Good
for you for wanting to make these steps with all the information
available to you. It's great that you're asking for help and
support with the process.

Choosing the right educational approach and school for a child
involves consideration of factors very particular to that
particular child and family. First consider your child as a
person and as a student in terms of learning style, academic
ability, personality, and personal passions, gifts and
challenges. Then consider your family in terms of its
structure, lifestyle, ethnicity, economics, politics, geography,
religion and educational philosophy and value system.

A strong school match exists when the school's strengths,
expectations, approach, culture, and cost (in time and money)
matches the abilities, interests and needs of your child and of
your family.

The process is made even more daunting by dueling calendars and
deadline dates, school fairs, visits, assessments and
interviews. It is fueled further by the decline of the public
school systems, a failing economy, the proliferation of new
alternative educational choices, and the shared angst of social
relationships among us all.

With all that going on, what's a parent to do? Stay calm and
breathe. Every child ends up in kindergarten somewhere and has
great stories to tell about it…really.

Some suggestions:

Get clear about which choices make sense for you and your child
by talking about your educational ideals and needs as a family.

Get clear about what schools fit your framework by networking
and asking other parents about their experiences, by being open
to the input from your preschool providers about what they would
suggest for your child, and by visiting lots of schools and
asking lots of questions. (You can learn as much from watching
a school's play yard or stopping at its front desk to make a
quick inquiry as you can from sitting in the classroom on a
prearranged tour. You will also learn as much about what is
right for your child by visiting a school that you think you do
not want, as you will from visiting the one that you believe you
must have.)

If you are still completely overwhelmed by the thought of it
all, call an educational consultant. The BridgeWorks Group
conducts group seminars to coach parents through the
Kindergarten admission process. (If your preschool requests it,
The BridgeWorks Group will send out its KinderPrep facilitator
to conduct a 45-minute session for parents called "Twenty-two
Questions to Ask of Schools, Your Child, and Yourself." Wanda
Stewart, the facilitator, has 22 years of experience as an
independent school student, trustee, and admission director –
most recently at the Bentley School…where my child ended up.

My personal experience with Ms. Stewart was beneficial to my
entire family and, from what I can see on an almost _daily_
basis, the many families that have come in contact with her.
If you'd like to contact the BridgeWorks Group, the number is
510.665.1665.
Good luck to you! You and your family will make it through this.
stinson

I have a friend who is an active parent volunteer at Madera. Her
second-grader has been there since kindergarten. I'd be happy to
ask her if she can arrange for you to visit one or both
kindergarten classrooms. Feel free to contact me if you would
like to get her contact information.
sj
It might be helpful for you to hear about our personal
experiences in choosing a kindergarten since we've been there.

I, like you, found myself getting more and more anxious. We took
tours of several private schools which we really liked, then took
a hard look at our finances and decided it wasn't worth having me
go back to work and put my toddler in childcare 30-40 hours per
week in order to afford private school for my oldest. Sadly, our
one income family budget just wouldn't stretch to afford even the
least expensive private school without MAJOR sacrifices (light,
water, groceries).

Our designated nh school is Harding. I did the research and
discovered what many parents do--that Kensington Hilltop is one
of the top rated elementary schools in the nation. It's only 10
minutes away and in spite of the fact that they discourage
classroom tours, I was able to talk to enough parents to feel
confident in applying for a transfer. Well, 2 years later, we're
still on a waiting list and at this point, my son has had such a
great experience at Harding, that I wouldn't consider sending him
anywhere else. He's had 2 excellent teachers (Ms. Smallfield for
kindergarten and Ms. Shinsako for 1st grade), he's made friends,
and I've become quite attached to at least 3 other moms at the
school who I regularly exchange playdates/pick up/drop offs with.
Plus it's 3 minutes from our house so we really feel part of our
local community. Best of all, my son is an excited and
enthusiastic student who loves going to school.

So public school can be very scary from the outside but really
all it took for me to be more comfortable was to get in touch
with another parent in the nh who volunteers in a classroom and
she got me in for a classroom visit. I was so impressed with Ms.
Smallfield's classroom management and the eager, bright,
enthusiastic kids that I felt much more at ease.

Finally, you should know that Madera is a highly desirable public
school. So you are in a win-win situation. If you decide to
enroll, the money you will save on private school tuition
can be used for after school enrichment activities or put into a
college savings fund. However, if you find that you can afford
private, there are a number of excellent private schools to
choose from.
Best of luck with your research.
--W County parent

Please don't worry too much about this. Your child will be fine,
and you can always make a change later if you need to. Most
people around here send their kids to public school and the kids
have a perfectly fine experience there. If the reviews on this
web site are any indication, most people on this list also send
their children to public school. Why don't you visit a couple of
public schools in your area and if they seem acceptable, just do
what most other people do and send your child there? If it
turns out that he isn't happy or you aren't happy, then you can
make a change. In my case, we did public school for the two
kids, and by about 5th grade, it wasn't working out of one of
the kids. So he changed to private school, but the other one
stayed at public school. They both did fine. There is no harm in
trying one thing and changing to another thing if it doesn't
work out. My kids both loved their public school from
kindergarten on. If they hadn't loved it, I would have changed
them. Chances are, your son will love being in school no matter
where he goes, and he won't be hurt if you need to make a change
later. You are not going to permanently damage him with a
decision you make this year. So make your best guess and then
tell yourself if you need to change it later, you can!
Anon

PS I have heard that Kensington Hilltop does not allow visits
during class time. I heard this was written into the teachers
contracts. I think this is very strange. All the other public
schools in the area that I know of do allow visits and in fact
encourage parents to visit. Private schools too. Maybe KH
feels they are so desirable they don't need to allow visits
because parents will try to get in there sight unseen.

Dear Anxious Mom,

All my experience with public schools (12 years) makes me think
you might be mistaken about the ''no visiting'' policies. Please
call again and ask to speak to the principal, or go to the
school office and explain that you want to visit before you
enroll your son.

You should be able to make an appointment to visit a
kindergarten classroom and speak to the principal about any
concerns you have.
Good luck, Sue
sues

There was an excellent article in the Nov 2001 issue of the Neighborhood
Parents Newsletter called: Observations from the Field: A Teacher's
Perspective on Public and Private Schools, by Sarah Comey Cluff. The
points covered there could easily be about the El Cerrito Schools. Here
are the basic points, with my own opinion after some. My child has been
at Castro for 2 years.

1. "Public schools offer more diversity."
2. "Private schools provide smaller classes. " My child is in a class
with 20 kids. To get 20 kids doing the same thing requires a good
teacher. His class has a parent volunteer each day, but still the
amount of time in the day spent on transitioning everyone is
significant. For my child, it is something I have had to let go of,
and I don't think it presents a problem for him, he just sits it out.
3. "Public schools are better able to meet special needs. " Castro is
the school for the district that mainstreams the disabled children. So,
many classes will have an aide assigned to be with that child the whole
class day. My son has learned a tremendous amount from some of these
special needs kids.
4. "Private school curriculum is more challenging because of the
selectivity of student admissions." There are many complaints at
Castro that the curriculum is taught at the level of the mid-level
achieving student, so it is a little too slow for the high achievers.
This is something that bothers me a lot and my son's teacher does not
group the kids by ability at all. So I am committed to doing a bit more
at home, tho I also recognize that academics is only one part of school;
he does not complain of being bored and he is learning so much about
social relations.
5. "Public school teachers are professionally trained and better paid."
6. "Private schools have superior supplies and physical plants."
Castro school has no PE, art or music teachers. The teachers include
it as they are able and within the curriculum guidelines. For example,
this year, my son's teacher includes PE instruction twice a week, there
is a parent volunteer who does music once a week, and art is done at the
teacher's discretion.
7. "Public Schools are free."
8. "Private school curriculum is free from the constraints of local
school board politics. "The curriculum for west county school district
is the same for each school, so Castro, Kensington, Madera all have the
same curriculum. I feel that in many ways the curriculum is pretty
dull. What differs between these schools in my mind is the level of
parent involvement. Castro has the least amount of parent involvement
of these 3 schools, but those who are involved get a lot done.
9. "Public schools build the local community. " This has been very
dramatic for our family. From not knowing too many of our neighbors, to
being able to walk to school and know so many neighbors now. That has
been one of the best things for us.
10. "Private schools offer a broader choice to parents."

Good luck in your decision.

Dec 1999

I've just completed school tours for private schools as well as our
local public school in Oakland. I started the process rather non-plused
thinking there would be more than enough schools that I would be impressed
with and that we'd have no problem getting into one of them. The reality
is that there is only one school I really like and another one my husband
likes. I'm fairly convinced that I don't think the 3rd, 4th and 5th private
schools on my list are better than my local public school (Hillcrest).
Incredible anxiety has now set in which I hadn't anticipated. I would like
advice from other parents on the following: 1) how many evaluations can you
realistically expect a 4 year old to go through, 2) what are things that
I should be doing that aren't on the school provided checklist (eg. should
I have friends already at the school put in a 'good word' or should I
write a letter stating this school is the only school I want for my kid), 3)
what is the reality of racial diversity in private schools (our daughter is
mixed race, many of the classrooms we're seeing don't appear to have the
racial diversity I expected given all the lip service it's given in school
presentations), 4) for parents that left/changed private school after
kindergarten what are things in hindsight you think you should have
evaluated more closely (could you have prevented the mismatch?), 5)
beyond the marketing presentation you get on a school tour, what questions
should I really be asking, 6) what is the best way to set my daughter's
expectation about what's going to happen in a school evaluation and 7) how
do I convince my husband the school I like is better than the one he likes?
Thanks.

I'm reminded of a wonderful and calming quote from a friend about her
daughter's school. After sending her daughter to private school for a
year she put her back in public school with the comment, "I can be
dissatisfied for free!" I've found this a calming mantra when school issues
get too crazy.
For the parent wondering about private vs. public schools: my
observation of racial diversity in the schools I looked at was that while
the schools all want it, or say they want it, what they really achieve is
way less "genuine" than you'll find in public school. There were far fewer
children of color at my child's Oakland private school than in the general
population, and of these, many contributed to diversity in appearance
only, being raised by upper-middle-class white parents. It's harder for a
school to get cultural diversity or socioeconomic diversity, so ask them how
they're doing in these areas.
My child left private school after kindergarten to get public school
services in special ed, which the private school was utterly unprepared
to offer.
Finding "the right" school is a tough job, as you can see. I have 2
children in private school, one of which I switched after 2 years at one
school. (It was a great move and easier than you may think.) In answer
to your questions:
1) I don't believe in testing kindergartners, so I didn't apply to any
schools that required it.
2) If a school is really your first choice, say so. Schools like to
know which applicants really want to be there. You should also have
friends put in a good word, it can make a difference. But be honest -
don't do it unless the school is truly your first choice, and don't say
it to more than one school!
3) Lack of racial diversity is a big problem. You are right, many
schools trumpet their diversity and once you visit the classrooms you
just don't see it. But some schools are definitely getting it right. At
schools which don't show diversity, ask about outreach and what their
diversity goals are. If they talk it but don't have a plan I'd question
their seriousness. If there's a plan but you don't see diversity ask
why.
4) I did have to switch my child, and in hindsight I don't think there's
anything that would have tipped me off. You can only use your judgment
and make the best decision possible. You just don't know how it's going
to work out until your child is there and you see how the school really
works, what the other families are like, and how the teachers and
curriculum are. But if you do have to switch it's much easier, because
you have much more information. You know more about the kind of student
your child is and are usually looking to correct something specific, so
you know exactly what to look for.
5) You should always ask what kind of child does well at this school,
and how they would characterize the child that graduates from their
school. That tells you what they are looking for, and what they believe
is important for students to take into middle school or high school
(sometimes into life.) This will help you decide if you like their
philosophy and if you think your child would have a good experience
there.
7) You probably can't, anymore than he could convince you that his
choice is better. Besides, how do you know your choice really is
better? It's probably just that you and your husband are looking for
different things.

Hope this helps. Good luck!!! And don't drive yourself crazy. We all
want to make the right decision the first time, but if you make a
mistake it's not the end of the world - you can do something about it.

Hello parents,
I have a son who's almost three, and we just moved to Oakland, near Mills
College. We bought a house there because it was one of the only places in
the East Bay that we could afford. We weren't thinking too much about
school districts, simply because a more expensive house in a better school
district was out of the question. But now I am really beginning to obsess
about schools. From things I've read on the list, and conversations I've
had lately, I'm beginning to feel as if it's standard practice to send your
kids to private schools unless you live in a wonderful district -- and
people seem to give up a lot to do that. They rent instead of own, or have
an only child, so that they can afford a private school. Aren't there
other people out there who send their kids to public schools in Oakland?
Am I the only one to plan seriously on doing that? Am I going to ruin my
son if I do? I am terrified that we have really screwed things up. If
there are any students or professors reading this who are in the education
department, or studying the sociology of education, I would love to hear
what studies say about the relationship between public / private schools
and how kids do later in life. I read one study years ago that said that
attitudes and habits at home override school effects, and he has two
parents who love to read and learn. Am I just rationalizing? Are there
parents out there who can tell me reassuring stories of sending their kids
to public schools and having them turn out just fine? ANY THOUGHTS ON
THIS SUBJECT WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.

I too live in Oakland and have been sending my son to
a private French American school in Berkeley for the
language immersion. I too had many reservations about
sending my son to the local neighborhood school.
Recently however I have been planning a career change
into teaching and have been substitute teaching in the
Oakland public schools, all over the district. I have
been surprised to find good elementary schools in many
parts of the city, where the teachers and the school
provide the kind of structure, stimulation, and
support that children need. With the small class
sizes up to grade 3, it appears to me that younger
children are getting a pretty good education. For
example, I taught at John Swett near Mills College and
liked the supportive atmosphere and the daily
affirmations for everyone at the school. Many of the
schools offer musical instrument instruction in the
elementary schools in addition.

Middle school appears a different story unless you can
get your child in one of the "college prep" middle
schools like Montera or Claremont. The average
Oakland middle school has no electives like music or
foreign language or art and they are heavy on the
harsh discipline model. Class sizes are usually too
large, can be very chaotic and loud in the average
middle school and often little learning can take place
compared to the elementary school. I really feel for
the kids who want to learn but find it difficult to in
this kind of environment. They really broke my heart
because they are losing out because of others.

You really need to carefully check out the school
your child will be attending to see if it will meet
your child's needs. You also need to champion your
child to get them out of problem classes and into the
better classes. Close contact with the teacher and
monitoring your child's work is essential.
cwynne

There are roughly 20, 000 children being educated in the Oakland Unified
School District and about 10,000 in the Berkeley Public School District.
Public Schools educate the vast majority of American Children. Someone must
be sending their children to these schools. I think, though, that you are
asking a slightly different question, which is whether responsible parents
send their children to public schools, particularly in Oakland. Well, the
answer to that is they certainly do
Not every school in Oakland is a good school, but there certainly are some
acceptable and even quite good choices.

There's a very common misconception, in my opinion, that every private
school is better than any public school, especially in urban school districts.

If you are interested in Oakland Public Schools and your child is going to
be school age, now is the time to act as intradistrict transfer periods are
coming up soon. The OUSD website has information about this here:
http://www.ousd.k12.ca.us/default-ad.htm

You don't really have to read any studies about this issue. You can ask for a copy of the
reading and math test scores for all the schools in your district from the Oakland School
District. I live in Oakland and needed to for personal reasons. The school nearest me
had reading scores at the 2nd percentile for the state! At the time, my daughter was
about to start 2nd grade and was already reading at about the 5th grade level. I wasn't
about to expose her to a classroom where she would be bored, frustrated, and depressed.
So, I made the financial sacrifice and put her in a Montesorri school. In the 4th grade I
was fortunate to get her into an excellent private school that ended at 12th grade. Now
she's a freshman at Cal and is light years ahead of her peers in her preparation for the
demanding curriculum here.

So, I feel for you. You really do have to decide to live elsewhere where the schools are
better and your cost of living is higher or you stay put and pay for a private education.
Plus, there is the stress of hoping that your child will even be accepted to the school of
your choice! Good luck, you have my sympathies.

As a former teacher (before motherhood) I would first say make an
appointment to go and visit the elementary schools in your area.
Don't rule them out before you have seen what is happening in the
classrooms. There are great teachers in every school. Often it is
the Principal that can make or break a school's moral and atmosphere,
so meet the principal. Within a big district like Oakland you can
apply for an "intra-district transfer". This means that if there are
spaces available at another school site your child could attend that
site instead of your neighborhood school. These transfers are usually
lotteries so call district office for Oakland and get your name on the
list for Kindergartens. Another option is Magnet schools within the
district there is often high quality teaching going on, they also are
based on lottery. Talk to you neighbors and see what they think of
the schools. On the private school angle - Mills College has a lovely
Children's school check it out. Their School of Education is great
and you might get info on the neighborhood schools from them. They
often send student teachers into the schools close to campus. As a
Parent you hold the key to your child's success in school in your
hands. If you are an active/involved parent in your child's school
that has more to do with their success in the future than who their
1st grade teacher was. I would be more concerned about looking at
Private school for Middle school vs. Elementary ,personally, simply
because I use to teacher 6/7 grade and that age is tough. Good luck!
Hope this helps. Gwen
I am in the same boat. Our local elementary has about
14% of its students reading at their grade level, for
instance. But, Oakland has open enrollment (which we
are about to go through), and some very good
elementary schools. I am hoping to get through at
least 5th grade, and hopefully 8th or 9th and then
think about private school. If it helps go to
greatschools.com to learn about the options you have.
Good luck.
Kean
I have taught in both public and private schools in the Berkeley/Oakland
area for 15 years. I strongly support public education and have taught at
Sequoia Elementary School (excellent!) for the last six years. It is crucial
to visit and talk with the teachers, other parents, principal, etc. to get
the real scoop. Yes, your child CAN get a good education in Oakland Public
Schools, you just have to go on a search. Also, do not believe everything
you read in the papers which can be very misleading. The strongest, most
inspiring and highly trained teachers can be found in Oakland Public
Schools. I've been quite shocked at the "songs and dances" put on by some
private schools which behind the scenes actually provide a lesser quality
education with weaker teaching, and less trained staff.
Jan
If I may offer one really important piece of advice.....Please Please Please
don't worry about this yet. You'll have plenty of time the year before
kindergarten. At that time....you should be going to all the schools you
would consider, talk to the teachers, principal, parents, look in the
classrooms. All public schools (and private) have open house days for new
parents. You can also come and sit in on classes with a day or two notice.
Also go to some private schools to compare the difference.We've found that
one of the very important things that makes a school work is parent
involvement. You need good teachers too, of course and hopefully a principal
who supports both. What are you looking for in a school? Diversity? School
Gardens? Art Programs? Tidiness? Newness? Music? Many of our areas public
schools have a few strong points. Unfortunately none that I know of have it
all (thank you, prop 13).

Please do not take the word of one or two people who say "Oh that school is
really bad". Go check it out for yourself. I've found all too often that
people choose not to go to their neighborhood school because of what other
people say, never having been there themselves. Do your research....find out
what's available that will seem to work with your child.
I once read an article titled "Private vs. Public". Essentially the article
said that if you can only afford to send your child to private school for a
limited time, do it in high school....that is where they will need the more
positive role models and peers.
By the way, My 1st grader is at our local public school and is doing well.
Our 5th grader did great at that same school till 3rd grade when he was
really bored and not being challenged. In 4th grade he was in a private
school and is thriving. You'll find out what is the best situation for your
child. Guaranteed if your child has a loving home and parents who are
involved in his/her education they will not be ruined even by a less adequate
public school.

Good luck, and again, please don't fret about it now.
June

Although I did a lot of research into private schools, we ended up
sending our son to public school - we could not afford private -
although not in Oakland. I do, however, know many people whose kids go
to public schools in Oakland and this is what I have gathered. If you
go to a school in a "better" neighborhood, there are many more people
in the community who can afford to support the schools financially, as
well as by volunteering their time and energy in the classroom. This
factor makes a huge difference in the quality of education your child
will receive. With parents helping in the classroom, that teacher is
able to focus on a smaller group of kids and give them much more
individual time and attention. The schools that are in more lower and
working class neighborhoods just don't have those resources, and you
would not believe how little in the way of supplies these teachers are
given by the district! A friend of mine works as a sub in Oakland -
the Kindergarten classrooms have NO paper, scissors, glue, etc. She
arrives with a suitcase full of her own supplies which she purchases
on her own! It's unbelievable!

You can apply for an inter-district transfer to school that you choose
( I think you get to choose three) and most often you'll get one of
them. There are several good schools in Oakland, such as Redwood
Heights, Crocker Highlands, Thornhill, and others - although not all
accept inter-district transfers every year. You need to check with the
school district.

Of course, when you go private, you don't have to deal with any of
that. Nor do you usually have to deal with discipline problems - it's
a much more sheltered environment. They are very careful about who
they accept. Most private schools do an admissions interview, even
with Kindergarten age children - which I found to be bazaar!

I have to admit that I moved to Albany because their schools have such
a good reputation and a very supportive community. I found the
transfer system in Oakland a little scary - you often don't find out
until the 11th hour which school your child has been accepted to -
which was unnerving for me at the time. So good luck in whatever you
choose!

Don't feel bad about obsessing. I believe it has become a national
past time to verbally beat up public schools and teachers. If you do
not know anyone who sends their kids to public schools, it can seem
like a "far-out" thing to do. I was concerned about the Oakland
public schools before we moved here and went a little nutty doing
research! We are planning on sending our kids to Oakland public
schools. Though we were limited by housing costs, one of the reasons
we picked Oakland was for the great public schools. I know you are
surprised, but hear me out. I have my master's in education. I have
taught in several districts and schools. I believe with all my heart
that what goes on at home determines what happens in the classroom.
Oakland has made great strides in the last two years. Now, the vast
majority of teachers are fully credentialed. Test scores are up
throughout the district and community groups are ! ra! lling to
improve facilities which will be even more doable with the recent
passage of Measure B. Test scores can be misleading. There are better
statistics out there. I felt very reassured by looking at the
breakdown of students with a similiar socio-economic background as
ours. There is almost no other school district in the world that
houses as much diversity as in the Oakland schools. You can
supplement the academics at home, as you would no matter where you
lived, but you can not expose your children to many different
nationalities, languages and ways of life on a daily basis. I am
currently teaching at Cal State Hayward. Approximately half of my
students graduated from Oakland High School. They ALL know how to
write and speak well. This is not true for all my students, even
those from private schools. Oakland High is our neighborhood school.
We thought we would need to pull some strings to get our ki! ds! into
Skyline or Tech, but now I feel totally comfortable sending our kids
to Oakland High. Oakland High also sent 25% of it's graduating
seniors last year to UC Berkeley, the most of any school, ANY School!,
in the state. Please visit schools. Oakland is an open district.
You do not have to go to your neighborhood school. Eight new schools
opened last year, some magnet and some charter schools. Obviously, I
am passionate about this subject; I could go on and on. I have done
more research than I am comfortable sharing here. If you would like
to talk to other parents or even high schoolers who have been through
the Oakland schools let me know. Please feel free to email me. Mariflo
Although I'm a sociologist, I don't specialize in Education. But from my
limited familiarity with research in this area, I'm willing to assert that
parents' educational attainment is a much stronger predictor of educational
success that any school or district-level measure. Rather most of the
"good" school districts are ones that mostly have children of highly
educated parents in their schools. I can tell you from looking at the
handouts from a talk at the ASA meeting this year, that of the high schools
(public or private) with the best success at getting students into the UC
system, quite a few were in college towns (which implies higher parents'
education levels).

My theory is that much of a school's (or district's) reputation has to do
with the success of its students which in turn has a lot to do with the
parents rather than the school.

It may be true that your son will be bored at times in the Oakland school
system or you may be frustrated. But I doubt it will do much damage. Your
values are important, too. Would you rather be a force for positive change
in your son's public schools or put that energy into a private school? When
I was a kid, my parents helped organize an alternative class within the
public elementary (although admittedly in Sonoma County, not Oakland).

I don't know what the charter school scene is currently like in Oakland,
except that I understand that New Village went under. But this is another
possibility for a public school outside of the traditional Oakland public
schools. Some are highly commercial, but others are more democratic and
parent run. Again, I don't know what's out there in Oakland.
Peter

I owned a nice house by Mills for 9 years. I adopted my infant
daughter in 94 and started doing research on schools around Mills.
The math tests at our local Oakland school in Maxwell Park were about
14 on a 1-100 scale. Reading wasn't much better. Oakland has some
good schools but overall they vary widely. You can try to get into one
of the magnet schools like Kaiser, but you don't know until just
before school starts.

I sold the house in '98. I was willing to rent indefinitely in order
find a decent school district. We moved 3 times in 10 months.
Eventually we accidentally lucked into a duplex in Berkeley. My
daughter goes to Berkeley public schools now. I know this isn't what
you want to hear, but its our story.
Tavie

Private was going to be the way we went, but then we were discouraged by
HOW HUGE the sacrifice would be, as well as how boring our lives would
become as a result of this sacrifice - something we were not willing to do,
so we chose public. We live in West Contra Costa County (WORST schools in
the East Bay) but work in Oakland and chose to send our kids to school in
Oakland. Check out the Oakland magnet schools and/or look into doing a
transfer within Oakland to a school that you would be happy sending your
child to. After finding one that we really liked that met the needs of our
child, we have been very pleased with the public school thus far. I am a
bit of a rebel and think that all of this homework obliteration given
everywhere is HORRIBLE and am grateful that the school we attend is
respectful of family time. Our child is very precocious and we know she is
on par for her age and don't feel the need to have her education "pushed in
her face" so early in the formal learning career.

My advice would be to start looking now at schools in the district in a
calm and methodical manner. Do some homework on the different focuses some
of the magnet and charter schools have, too (wish someone had told me that
when my child was 3-1/2). Doing this with some time on your side will help
you later in the school "hunt" for kindergarten. If you know now what you
might like/dislike in a school, this will help you narrow down the
search. Also find out and become familiar with what the OUSD requires for
completing transfers. Better to be ahead of the game!

Good luck and go public!

Personally, I think the most important thing is how well you respond to
the kids' interests, and what learning resources you have for them. A
good private school probably has more experience than you personally,
but particularly at a young age, even a lousy school with a good teacher
can teach something. I grew up in a marginal working-class public
school district. I think I might have benefited from better education,
but it wasn't really a problem until high school, when I was more
interested in learning than in all the anti-learning social structure.
Then when I went to college, I had a little bit of catching up to do.
Bottom line, you're not permanently damaging your kids by sending them
to public school. They'll do just fine, particularly at the younger
years. But pay attention. See how they're learning, and how they feel,
and re-evaluate as they get toward HS. Also keep in mind that there are
some negatives about private school. For one thing, depending on the
school, many of the kids are wealthier. My niece is now in an upscale
private school, and she's much much more conscious of all the material
things she doesn't have (and won't be getting), and it even goes down to
details like what she will and won't eat in her lunch box. Although I
would have LOVED the greater educational resources, I was extremely
self-conscious of my lack of social status even in public school (e.g.,
my parents were not going to go out and by the pricey cool clothes). I
probably would have been a wreck in a fancy school (though I fantasized
about wearing a uniform, so I wouldn't have to deal with my clothing
inadequacies!)
We received a note in the weekly family packet last week that Redwood
Heights Schools is accepting intradistrict transfers in kindergarten and
fourth grade... for the first time in many years.
Just thought some parents might be interested in this information.
Myriam
Another option is to meet your neighbors, volunteer at the school, and
organize your community to support and attend the school. For example:
[Notice about a meeting of Sequoia Elementary School neighbors]
I have taught in both public and private schools. I also live near Mills
College in Oakland and, although my daughter is too young for school, I
have neighbors who have attended our neighborhood school, Redwood Heights.
I'm an educational researcher as well, and, although this is not my area
of expertise, I speak as somebody who has spent a lot of time in myriad
public schools.

Here's my opinion: your child will be fine in public
school, assuming the school is not in a constant state of crisis. This
is especially true if you stay involved (get to know teachers, do the
at-home stuff you do, etc.) When your child gets older, make sure to give
him/her opportunities to participate in out-of-school learning activities
that help nurture his/her talents and interests. If s/he has the
misfortune of having a bad teacher, don't hesitate to hire tutors or other
people to help with these challenges. (It'll still be cheaper than
private school tuition.)

In some cases, children do slip through the cracks at public schools, as
there are many pupils with a lot of needs, and limited resources to
address these. I find that children with involved parents are seldom
among those who fall through in this way.

Hope this helps,
Ilana

I live in Oakland-in the Glenview district- and my two kids go to
Oakland public schools--although they do not go to our neighborhood
school. Our neighborhood school, Glenview, seemed OK but their after
care and at the time my son started school, my daughter's pre- school,
is at Lakeshore Children's Center which only transports to Crocker
Highland, the next school over. So we applied for and received an
intradistrict transfer. Crocker does have higher test scores and
fewer % of kids eligible for free lunch. So far, our kids seem to be
doing fine, although they are only in Kindergarten and first grade.
But on our street, which has many, many children, only one other
family sends their kids to public schools.
Denise
I just want to write to say thank you to all the wonderful people who took
the time to write about the public v. private school debate. I found it
very comforting -- it was like having a crowd of supportive people in my
living room giving me incredibly useful advice. It was also great to see
how many people support public schools. Not only financial, but also
political reasons make me want to "go public," and it's good to see that
doing this doesn't have to mean shortchanging my son. Thank you again,
parents, for sharing your experiences and thoughts!